13 May 2011

A study has identified areas for improvement in antenatal and postnatal care provided by Indigenous primary care services around Australia.

The study by the Menzies School of Health Research examined the quality of care provided by Indigenous primary health care services and found that maternal health care could be improved.

Lead Menzies researcher Dr Alice Rumbold says better access and appropriate quality antenatal and postnatal care is necessary to improve the relatively poor state of maternal health in Indigenous women.

Improving maternal health is recognized as a key strategy to closing the gap in mortality rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children.

“Antenatal care aims to provide health information and appropriate screening, preventative measures and treatment to maximise the health of women and their infants.” Dr Rumbold said.

“Our research identified both strengths and weaknesses in the way maternal health care is delivered in Indigenous primary care services.

“For example, there was good documentation of follow up of identified problems related to hypertension and diabetes, but there were clear areas for improvement in many services relating to providing advice about health behaviours and adhering to recommended screening in pregnancy.”

The study will help inform local, regional and national efforts to promote the quality of maternal health care for Indigenous women.

The study examined the quality of maternity care provided to 535 pregnant women (89 percent were Indigenous) from 34 Indigenous primary health centres from the Northern Territory, Western Australia, north Queensland and far west New South Wales.

Across all services only 27 percent of women were prescribed folic acid prior to 20 weeks gestation and even fewer (8 percent) prior to conception.

Among the 43 percent of women who used cigarettes at any time in their pregnancy only 46 percent had documented advice regarding smoking cessation.

However, among the 11 percent of women with an abnormal screening test for gestational diabetes, 77 percent had a documented follow up diagnostic test for diabetes.

53 percent of women had a record of receiving postnatal care. Advice about breastfeeding and contraception was recorded for around half these women; fewer women had advice about smoking, nutrition and depression (19-21 percent). Evidence of women being provided advice around sudden infant death syndrome prevention, injury prevention and infection and hygiene was particularly deficient (4-5 per
cent).

Menzies will now look at supporting clinics to improve maternity care for Indigenous women through its one21seventy program which works directly with Indigenous health clinics to undertake continuous quality improvement, resulting in better care for patients.

ENDS

Victoria Close, Communications Officer
T: 08 8943 5039 | M: 0421 469 817 | victoria.close@menzies.edu.au