PreTRM for Employers The Chance to Improve Prenatal Care Statistics
Preterm birth—a birth that occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy—is a common pregnancy-related complication, leading to many medical issues that can translate into high medical costs and lost productivity for mothers and other family members.
Overview
The PreTRM Test for preterm labor risk assessment allows doctors to identify pregnancies at increased risk of a premature birth, so they can take action to improve the chances of a healthy delivery. With early risk assessment and intervention, costs can be reduced, and the quality of life for babies and their families can be improved.
Health Impacts of Preterm Birth
Preterm birth—also called premature birth—is a complication affecting one in ten pregnancies, leading to an array of short- and long-term health issues.
Economic Impacts of Preterm Birth
With the high risk of medical issues that stem from premature birth, it is no wonder that early deliveries translate into huge prenatal costs for families, the healthcare system, and employers.
Along with the direct costs of caring for a premature infant, the losses in workplace productivity can be significant. When parents care for a child with long-term health problems—like cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and chronic lung disease—the strain on family resources can radiate into the workplace, with an increased need for time away from work.
Preterm birth has been found to be a major driver of
healthcare utilization and costs:
Preterm Labor Risk Assessment: The PreTRM Test
When a pregnancy is known to be at high risk for preterm delivery, there are effective interventions to delay labor and improve health outcomes for baby and mother. While physicians know of certain risk factors for spontaneous preterm labor, up to half of women who deliver prematurely show no signs of these risk factors at an early enough stage to make meaningful changes to pregnancy care.7
An Innovative Test for Early Risk Identification to Improve Health Outcomes and Lower Healthcare Costs
The PreTRM Test is a simple blood test that doctors can order to identify pregnancies at higher risk of preterm labor, even when their patients lack evident risk factors for early delivery. The test measures the levels of key blood proteins that have been found to indicate a high risk of preterm labor.
In several published studies, the use of the PreTRM Test has shown promise in improving key health and economic outcomes by alerting physicians to an increased risk of premature delivery.
Concierge Member Service for the PreTRM Test
Sera offers convenient, personalized service for patients and their physicians when they decide to use the PreTRM Test:
Online Provider Portal
Doctors order the PreTRM Test with Sera’s online provider portal.
Scheduling Sample Collection
Once the order is placed, Sera’s dedicated support team will assist patients with scheduling their sample collection during the 18th through 20th week of pregnancy.
Sample Collection
A phlebotomist in our broad network will collect the sample and ship it to the Sera laboratory for processing.
Results
The PreTRM Test has a fast turnaround of an average of 7 business days from the receipt of sample. Results are sent directly to the doctor, who will contact the patient to discuss them.
Contact a Sera representative today
If you are interested in learning more about how PreTRM can help reduce newborn healthcare costs and improve employees’ quality of life
References
- Hamilton BE, et al. Births: Provisional data for 2020. Vital Statistics Rapid Release; no 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. May 2021.
- Callaghan WM, et al. The contribution of preterm birth to infant mortality rates in the United States. Pediatrics. 2006 Oct;118(4):1566-73.
- Waitzman NJ, et al. Updating National Preterm Birth Costs to 2016 with Separate Estimates for Individual States: Final Report to the March of Dimes. Available from: https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/documents/Cost_of_Prematurity_2019.pdf
- Waitzman NJ, et al. Preterm birth lifetime costs in the United States in 2016: An update. Semin Perinatol. 2021 Apr;45(3):151390.
- Phibbs CS, et al. Birth Hospitalization Costs and Days of Care for Mothers and Neonates in California, 2009-2011. J Pediatr. 2019 Jan; 204:118-125.e14.
- ier LM, Andrews RM. The National Hospital Bill: The Most Expensive Conditions by Payer, 2008: Statistical Brief # 107. 2011 Mar. In: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Briefs [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2006 Feb-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53976/
- Iams, JD, et al. Prevention of preterm parturition. N Engl J Med. 2014;370:254-61.
- Matthew K. Hoffman, Carrie Kitto, Zugui Zhang, et al. Neonatal outcomes after proteomic biomarker-guided intervention: the AVERT PRETERM TRIAL. medRxiv 2023.09.13.23295503; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.13.23295503
- Burchard J, et al. Clinical and economic utility of a preterm birth predictor derived from an analysis of a large and diverse pregnancy cohort. medRxiv. 2021.09.08.21262940.