Iowa Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Project
State: IA

Skill Area: Data Analysis and Monitoring

Internship summary
The internship project will be housed in the Bureau of Family Health (BFH). In the BFH, the intern will be immersed in the hub of maternal and health activities, including those activities carried out under the guidance of the MCH Title V Block Grant. The intern will take the lead on two projects. The first is the “I-PRAMS or Barriers – Next Steps” project. Iowa does not currently participate in the CDC sponsored Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveillance system. Rather than PRAMS, Iowa currently has a PRAMS-like surveillance system called the Barriers to Prenatal Care Project (Barriers for short). At the same time, Iowa is interested in investigating the feasibility of becoming a PRAMS state. In order to assess Iowa’s feasibility of becoming a PRAMS state and its capacity to conduct a PRAMS project the BFH, funded by the March of Dimes, conducted a PRAMS pilot project called the Iowa Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (I-PRAMS) during 2007 and 2008. The “I-PRAMS or Barriers – Next Steps” project would compare and contrast the data results collected from the I-PRAMS pilot project vs. those results collected by the Barriers project. For example the intern would examine questions that are common the both I-PRAMS and Barriers and examine what questions differ between I-PRAMS and Barriers. In addition, Iowa has switched to the 2003 version of the birth certificate. The 2003 version of the birth certificate includes questions that are also included on the I-PRAMS and Barriers surveys. How does the data collected on the birth certificate duplicate the data collected on either I-PRAMS or Barriers? The results of this project would provide the BFH with key information in deciding to apply for PRAMS, to retain Barriers (unchanged), or to modify Barriers.

The next project, “Measuring Title V Budget Reduction Impact” would involve examining information and data pertaining to Iowa’s Maternal and Child Health Block Grant (Title V). Over the past six years, funding for Iowa’s MCH Block Grant has been reduced significantly. Despite a slight increase at the federal level, Iowa has had to make significant reductions in Title V funded programming. This project would assess the impact of state budget cuts on Title V agency and community-based programs by replicating a project conducted by the MCH Policy Research Center survey (See attachment).

Purpose
The “Next Steps” project’s purpose is to compare and contrast the data collected via the I-PRAMS survey vs. that collected via the Barriers project. The Title V Budget Reduction project’s purpose is to describe the impacts of key cost cutting measures (e.g., reductions in administrative spending, enrollment, home visiting services, etc.) that local Title V agencies used in order to implement required budget cuts.

Goals
The “Next Steps” project’s goal is to guide the BFH in its decision to apply for PRAMS, to retain Barriers (unchanged), or to modify Barriers. The Title V Budget Reduction project’s goal is to document effects of budget reductions at the community level. .

Objectives
The “Next Steps” project’s objectives are to answer the following questions: 1) what variables are shared by the I-PRAMS survey and the Barriers survey? 2) What data is available from the I-PRAMS data that are not available from the Barriers survey and vice-versa? 3) What are the strengths and weaknesses of I-PRAMS compared to Barriers in terms of costs, sample size, population representativeness, and data use to measure key MCH health indicators? The Title V Budget Reduction projects objectives are to describe agency level cost cutting measures and their effect on women and children in Iowa.

Data or analytic tasks and activities involved
“Next Steps”
1)Examine data elements from the I-PRAMS data set
2) Examine data elements from the Barriers data set
3) Document similarities and differences of the data collected via I-PRAMS vs. Barriers
4) Synthesize the strengths and weaknesses of MCH surveillance using I-PRAMS compared to Barriers in terms of methods, response-rates, population representativeness, and use of the data to measure key MCH health indicators

The Title V Budget Reduction
1) Modify (if necessary) the national survey in order to collect information from Title V program directors at the local level
2) Conduct phone or distribute written surveys to each Iowa Title V agency
3) Enter and analyze data
4) Determine a protocol for estimating effects of budget reductions on the number of women and children served
5) Summarize the results for both projects in a written report and/or fact sheets
6) Make recommendations for next steps based on the analyses results, and
7) Present the results to BFH staff and leadership.

Required data or analytic skills
The intern will need to be comfortable manipulating and analyzing data using either SPSS or SAS. The intern will also need to be proficient in other Word programs such as Word and Power Point. In addition to data and analytic skills, the intern needs to have effective interpersonal skills, effective oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work with an interdisciplinary team.

Begin date
05/24/2010

Housing assistance available?
Yes, IDPH staff can assist the intern in locating and securing housing. There are a variety of housing options available such as campus dorms and furnished apartments.

Public transportation available?
The Lucas Building is accessible via public transportation. State employees have unlimited free use of DART (the Des Moines Regional Transit Authority-www.ridedart.com). This benefit would be available to the intern.