2015 DSSG Data Fest: Team Better Babies

Summary

The Illinois Department of Human Services collaborates with Data Science for Social Good to predict and reduce adverse births, which include preterm and low birth weight deliveries. They've implemented the Better Birth Outcomes (BBO) program, providing case management for at-risk pregnant women. The project refines BBO eligibility by using predictive modeling to analyze risk factors from a more current and granular dataset. This aims to ensure BBO services reach the most vulnerable populations, potentially increasing the program's accuracy by 1.5 times.

Takeaways

• 👶 **Adverse Births in Illinois**: 25,000 adverse births occur annually, impacting approximately one in ten babies born prematurely and one in twelve with low birth weight.
• 🏥 **Better Birth Outcomes (BBO) Program**: Implemented by the Illinois Department of Human Services in 2013, BBO is an intensive case management program for at-risk pregnant women.
• 🤰 **Caseworker Support**: BBO participants receive monthly support from an experienced caseworker who directs them to appropriate resources throughout their pregnancy.
• 🚫 **Limited Capacity**: BBO can only serve 2000 women at any given time, necessitating a focus on identifying the most at-risk population.
• 📊 **Expanding Adverse Birth Definition**: The definition of adverse birth is expanded to include low birth weight, neonatal intensive care, and infant mortality.
• 📈 **Updated Data Analysis**: The project uses more current data through 2015 to improve the understanding of adverse birth patterns.
• 🗺️ **Granular Mapping**: Adverse births are mapped at the census tract level, providing a more detailed understanding than county-level data.
• 🔍 **Identifying Mismatches**: The project highlights mismatches between current clinic locations and clusters of adverse births to better target resources.
• 📝 **Assessment Reevaluation**: A 17-question assessment is being reevaluated using data science to determine the predictive impact of each question on the likelihood of an adverse birth.
• 💡 **Predictive Modeling**: Data science and predictive modeling are used to measure the importance of each assessment question, aiming to improve the accuracy of identifying at-risk women.
• 🌐 **Web Application Development**: A web application is being developed to facilitate easy access to the project's output and support decision-making for BBO eligibility.

Q & A

How many adverse births occur in Illinois each year?

25,000 adverse births occur in Illinois each year.

What is the ratio of preterm births in Illinois?

One in ten babies are born preterm in Illinois.

What is the ratio of low birth weight babies in Illinois?

One in 12 babies are born with low birth weight in Illinois.

What is an adverse birth according to the script?

An adverse birth is defined as being born too early, too small, ending up in the neonatal intensive care unit, or dying within the first year of life.

What is the Better Birth Outcomes (BBO) program?

The BBO program is an intensive case management program for eligible at-risk pregnant women, implemented by the Illinois Department of Human Services in 2013.

How does the BBO program support pregnant women?

Program participants are assigned an experienced caseworker who provides monthly support and directs them to appropriate resources throughout their pregnancy.

What is the current limitation of the BBO program?

The Illinois Department of Human Services can only offer BBO services to 2000 women at any given time.

How does the current project aim to improve the BBO program?

The project aims to ensure that the 2000 women served by BBO truly represent the most at-risk population in Illinois by using a more granular mapping of adverse births and a more current dataset.

What is the significance of mapping adverse births at the census tract level?

Mapping adverse births at the census tract level provides a more granular view than at the county level, highlighting mismatches between current clinic locations and clusters of adverse births.

How does the project plan to identify the most at-risk women for the BBO program?

The project uses data science and predictive modeling to measure the impact each question in the 17-question assessment has on the likelihood of an adverse birth and reweights the assessment accordingly.

What is the estimated improvement in accuracy of the new approach compared to the current strategy?

The new approach is estimated to be up to 1.5 times as accurate as the current strategy in identifying at-risk women for the BBO program.

How does the project plan to make its models easy to use?

The project is developing a web application that will allow caseworkers to easily interface with the output of the project.