Enhancing Maternal Health: The Impact of Doula-Provider Collaboration on Patient Outcomes
Improving maternal health outcomes depends not only on what services are provided, but how they are delivered through coordinated teamwork. One increasingly recognized strategy is strengthening collaboration between clinical providers, such as physicians, nurses, midwives and doulas. When these roles are clearly defined and integrated, families benefit from more personalized, responsive, and effective care.
Why Collaborative Models Matter
Team-based maternal care is associated with better experiences and outcomes. Doulas offer nonclinical emotional, informational, and physical support throughout the perinatal period, which complements the clinical care provided by licensed professionals. Research has shown that this support can lead to:
Reduced rates of cesarean birth
Shorter labor durations
Higher breastfeeding initiation
Increased patient satisfaction and confidence
A systematic review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that continuous labor support, particularly from someone like a doula who is not a hospital staff member, was associated with improved outcomes for women and babies, including fewer cesarean deliveries and greater satisfaction with the birth experience (Bohren et al., 2017).
When providers and doulas collaborate effectively, the combined impact on safety, communication, and family well-being is amplified.
Clarifying Complementary Roles
Effective collaboration starts with role clarity. Doulas do not provide clinical care and are not a substitute for licensed medical professionals. Instead, their support is centered on the emotional and physical needs of birthing people and their families.
Health systems that establish guidelines for doula/provider interaction can:
Reduce confusion about responsibilities
Improve workflow efficiency
Foster trust among team members
This clarity helps ensure everyone, patients, doulas, and clinical staff. It is aligned around a shared care plan.
Introducing Co-Learning Models
Co-learning is an emerging approach that allows doulas and clinical providers to learn alongside one another through structured experiences. This approach emphasizes:
Mutual understanding of scope and responsibilities
Shared vocabulary for communication
Respect for each discipline’s contributions to care
Examples of co-learning opportunities include:
Interdisciplinary simulations and workshops
Facilitated roundtable discussions
Joint orientation sessions for doulas and staff
These models foster stronger team dynamics, reduce tension in clinical settings, and improve continuity of care. They also create opportunities for providers and doulas to align on respectful care practices and patient-centered communication, which have been linked to better maternal mental health and trust in health systems (Vedam et al., 2019).
Supporting Collaboration through Structure
Hospitals that succeed in integrating doulas often invest in formal processes that support consistency and accountability. Key strategies include:
Developing clear onboarding materials for doulas
Identifying a point person or liaison to coordinate doula relations
Creating feedback loops between doulas and providers
Such structures allow for timely communication, better alignment on care goals, and smoother workflows across disciplines. When institutions take a systems-level approach, collaboration becomes more predictable and sustainable across shifts, units, and patient populations.
Benefits for Clinical Teams and Families
Doula/Provider collaboration is not only beneficial for families, but it also supports clinical staff. Nurses and providers often report that having a trusted doula present allows them to:
Focus more effectively on medical care
Rely on doulas for nonclinical reassurance and comfort measures
Reduce duplicative or competing communication
From the patient perspective, a coordinated team creates a more cohesive and empowering birth experience. Families often describe feeling more seen and supported, which may contribute to improved engagement in postpartum care and newborn health practices.
Looking Ahead
As maternal health systems continue to evolve, integration of nonclinical support roles can help institutions meet both quality and equity goals. Doula/Provider collaboration, when supported by training, policies, and culture, becomes an asset to care delivery rather than a logistical challenge.
Health systems can take practical steps to build this collaboration by:
Engaging multidisciplinary leaders early in planning
Aligning institutional policies with community-based partnerships
Utilizing existing toolkits and technical assistance from national health organizations
The goal is not simply coexistence, but effective teamwork that puts families at the center of care.
If you're part of a healthcare institution seeking to strengthen care coordination through collaborative models, there are proven frameworks available to help you design, implement, and refine sustainable practices that support both patients and providers.
Citations:
Bohren, M. A., Hofmeyr, G. J., Sakala, C., Fukuzawa, R. K., & Cuthbert, A. (2017). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Vedam, S., Stoll, K., Taiwo, T. K., et al. (2019). The Giving Voice to Mothers study: inequity and mistreatment during pregnancy and childbirth in the United States. Reproductive Health, 16(1).
