The role of early newborn discharge legislation in influencing policy development: understanding the Kansas experience.
Early newborn discharge legislation began a movement in health policy towards incremental changes in how medical consumers receive services. While well intentioned, these initiatives may undermine national efforts to address problems through more comprehensive reform, while stifling smaller efforts to address the problems locally. This paper discusses early newborn discharge legislation in Kansas: its origins, apparent impact, and implications. Findings from a hospital survey and two-year follow-up suggest a minimal effect of the legislation on health services in the state. Though acute hospital care appeared to replace home-based programs in many hospitals we spoke with, the more longstanding impact of the legislation seems to have been its precedent in how health policy is now made.
Fox
Michael H
MH
Department of Health Policy and Management, Research and Training Center on Independent Living, University of Kansas, 4089 Dole Center, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA. mfox@ukans.edu
Foster
Carly Hayden
CH
D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007615:Kansas; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011050:Policy Making; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy