Maternal Nursing
Maternal Health and Child Health Systems Assessment Tool
Version 2.1
A tool for assessment of health service systems to support maternal health and child health
Health during early childhood and pregnancy has long term and wide ranging impacts on the general health of populations. Promotion of good health in pregnancy and childhood are therefore critical activities of primary health care services. Health service systems need to be organised to meet the specific needs of maternal and child care alongside the other major aspects of these services, such as acute and chronic illness care.
Health care organisations require practical tools to guide efforts and evaluate changes in maternal and child health. This ABCD Systems Assessment Tool was originally designed for assessing primary care systems support for chronic illness care. The tool is based on the structure, content and principles of the
Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) survey (Bonomi et al., 2002) and on the Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions (ICCC) Framework (WHO 2002).
We have now adapted the Systems Assessment Tool for use in quality improvement activities directed at maternal and child health (MCH). This adaptation is based on key policy reports and research papers relevant to the
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care sector (see list on last page). As for the ABCD Systems Assessment Tool for chronic illness care, this MCH Systems Assessment Tool has been designed for use with health services for Indigenous Australian populations. However, it is expected to be appropriate with minor adaptation for many other settings.
The intended purpose of the tool is to support ongoing quality improvement initiatives through systematic assessment of a range of elements of health service systems that have been demonstrated to be important. The tool provides for • an assessment of the state of development of health service systems;
• guidance on next steps
Version 2.1
A tool for assessment of health service systems to support maternal health and child health
Health during early childhood and pregnancy has long term and wide ranging impacts on the general health of populations. Promotion of good health in pregnancy and childhood are therefore critical activities of primary health care services. Health service systems need to be organised to meet the specific needs of maternal and child care alongside the other major aspects of these services, such as acute and chronic illness care.
Health care organisations require practical tools to guide efforts and evaluate changes in maternal and child health. This ABCD Systems Assessment Tool was originally designed for assessing primary care systems support for chronic illness care. The tool is based on the structure, content and principles of the
Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) survey (Bonomi et al., 2002) and on the Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions (ICCC) Framework (WHO 2002).
We have now adapted the Systems Assessment Tool for use in quality improvement activities directed at maternal and child health (MCH). This adaptation is based on key policy reports and research papers relevant to the
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care sector (see list on last page). As for the ABCD Systems Assessment Tool for chronic illness care, this MCH Systems Assessment Tool has been designed for use with health services for Indigenous Australian populations. However, it is expected to be appropriate with minor adaptation for many other settings.
The intended purpose of the tool is to support ongoing quality improvement initiatives through systematic assessment of a range of elements of health service systems that have been demonstrated to be important. The tool provides for • an assessment of the state of development of health service systems;
• guidance on next steps