FAQs – district of columbia perinatal quality collaborative

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS A PQC?

Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQC) are state or multistate networks of teams working to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies. PQC members identify health care processes that need to be improved and use the best available methods to make changes as quickly as possible (www.cdc.gov)

HOW IS THE DCPQC STRUCTURED?

The DCPQC is made up of a multidisciplinary group of public health professionals, government officials, community members, and the health care sector. In total, we represent over 20 organizations. Our members make up the following committees: Full Committee, Advisory Board, Core Team, Patient Advisory Board, and the Data Subcommittee.

HOW DO I JOIN THE DCPQC?

Membership into the DCPQC is by invitation only. We have worked diligently to put together a multidisciplinary group that was vetted by DC Health to move this work forward. If an opportunity is available to add additional members, the potential member will be vetted before an invitation is extended.

If you have any questions or concerns, click the contact us button at the top of the page to send us an email.

WHO DO I GET IN CONTACT WITH FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DCPQC?

You can email info@dcpqc.org and someone will be in touch with you.

DATA TERMS DEFINITIONS

Acute Renal Failure: Sudden and often temporary loss of kidney function. Also called acute kidney failure.
- A condition in which the kidneys suddenly cannot filter waste from blood
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC): A serious disorder in which the proteins that control blood clotting become overactive abnormal blood clotting,
- - The blood begins to stick together forming small ball like shapes all over the body which causes issues within the body.
Pre-Eclampsia: A condition in pregnancy characterized by abrupt hypertension (a sharp rise in blood pressure), albuminuria (leakage of large amounts of the protein albumin into the urine) and edema (swelling) of the hands, feet, and face. This condition generally happens in the third trimester.
- High blood pressure during pregnancy and shortly after pregnancy that can be dangerous for mother and baby.
Eclampsia: Convulsions (seizures) occurring with pregnancy-associated high blood pressure and having no other known cause.
- High blood pressure during pregnancy that has now become dangerous causing seizures. Seizures that occur during a woman’s pregnancy or shortly after giving birth, usually preceded by high blood pressure.
Hemorrhage: Excessive bleeding that is not controlled.
Hypertension: High blood pressure.
Diabetes: A disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. It is also referred to by some as “the sugar”.
Mortality: Number of deaths that occur in a population.
Morbidity: The condition of suffering from a disease or medical condition.
- The disease or medical condition may cause long lasting effects but does not mean death immediately follows. You can still live with the disease.
Pregnancy-Associated Death: Death due to a complication of pregnancy.
Pregnancy-Related Death: Existing medical condition that worsened and led to death due to pregnancy.
- Any death in the first year after the delivery that may have been impacted by the fact that the individual was pregnant.
Social Determinants of Health (SDoH): Conditions in the environment in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes and risk.
- Reasons other than your physical health that can prevent you from having good health (e.g. being homeless). Additionally, economic and social conditions can influence a person’s health status (e.g. Income, education, employment, etc.)
Thromboembolism: Obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot that has become dislodged from another site in the circulation.
- Blood sticks together and begin to block where the blood normally flows.
Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: Heart disease that happens in pregnancy.
Blood Transfusions: Blood given to a patient that is losing blood.

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TESTIMONIALS

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The District of Columbia Perinatal Quality Collaborative Grant is managed by the District of Columbia Hospital Association Program Services Company, Inc.

This DC Perinatal Quality Collaborative Grant Program is funded wholly or in part by the Government of the District of Columbia Department of Health.