What is Ohio SOARS?

The Ohio Study of Associated Risk of Stillbirth (Ohio SOARS) is a new state survey led by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM). The development of SOARS was initiated in 2019, and the survey will take place in 2020 and occur annually. SOARS will provide critical, timely, and relevant population-based data to better understand maternal experiences and behaviors prior to, during, and immediately following pregnancy among women who have recently experienced a fetal death. 

Will my answers be kept private?

Yes. All answers are kept completely private to the extent permitted by law. All answers given on the questionnaires will be grouped together to give us information on Ohio mothers who have experienced a fetal death. In reports from this survey, no woman will be identified by name.

How was I chosen to participate in SOARS?

The methodology for SOARS is similar to the Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey (OPAS) and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), with the difference being that OPAS and PRAMS survey a sample of Ohio women with a live birth. SOARS will survey all women who experienced a stillbirth using information from fetal death certificates provided by the Ohio Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics. This research has been approved by ODH’s Institutional Review Board, which reviews human subject research proposals to ensure risks have been minimized and the potential for benefit has been maximized before human subjects participate in research.

Like OPAS and PRAMS, SOARS will contact women by mail and telephone starting at 2-4 months after a reported fetal death. SOARS data will provide information not available from other sources about pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and the first few months after a fetal death.
 

How does SOARS work?

Each month, women who experienced a stillbirth in the prior 2-4 months will be asked to participate in the survey. The SOARS survey will be provided in two ways: web and paper surveys. Two to four months after delivery a condolence card is mailed to each woman. The SOARS questionnaire weblink is mailed a week later with a gift and family support resources. A reminder letter is sent prior to a paper version of the survey packet being mailed. Telephone reminders are attempted if no contact has been made after each of the prior mailings.

Is it really important that I answer these questions?

Yes!  It is important to have everyone's answers.  Every pregnancy is different.  To get a better overall picture of the health of mothers and babies in Ohio, we would like each mother to answer the questions.  From the information given, we may be able to improve health care for women and babies in Ohio.  We need to know what went right as well as what went wrong during each pregnancy.  

Some of the questions don't seem related to healthcare- why are they asked?

Many things in a mother’s life may affect her health before, during, and after pregnancy beyond the actual health care she receives.  These questions ask about social conditions that may affect health outcomes.

How can SOARS data be used?

SOARS data will be used to identify groups of women at high risk for health problems, to monitor changes in health status, and to measure progress towards goals in improving the health of Ohio mothers and infants. Additionally, SOARS data will be available by request for researchers to investigate and learn more about fetal mortality in Ohio.