Racial and ethnic disparities in obstetric anesthesia care remains persistent despite studies documenting its existence and calling for action. The goal of this study is to share disparity data with underserved minority groups being admitted to the labor and delivery unit for obstetric care, to reduce mistrust and misconceptions regarding obstetric anesthesia care, and to bridge the cultural gap between patient beliefs and safe anesthetic care and to empower patients through transparency and provide them with the information necessary to make informed decisions about their care, to improve health literacy, and to ultimately improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Parturient patients being admitted to the labor and delivery unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
Patients of age 18 or greater with a singleton fetus of at least 37 weeks of gestation that present in spontaneous labor, for induction of labor, or augmentation of labor.
Patients in the first stage of labor and who have consented for placement of a labor epidural.
Patients who are in severe labor pain following verbal informed consent prohibiting them from participating in the discussion,
Patients who present with a coagulopathy or on anticoagulation medications that exclude them from receiving labor epidural analgesia,
Patients who do not consent to labor epidural placement, or if they are on a mid-wife service.
Patients that are converted to a cesarean delivery following trial of labor