Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Beyond too little, too late and too much, too soon: a pathway towards evidence-based, respectful maternity care worldwide.

 • Preventable maternal morbidity and mortality is associated with the absence of timely access to quality care, defined as too little, too late (TLTL)—ie, inadequate access to services, resources, or evidence-based care—and too much, too soon (TMTS)—ie, over-medicalisation of normal antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care.
• Although many structural factors aff ect quality care, adherence to evidence-based guidelines could help health-care providers to avoid TLTL and TMTS.
• TLTL—historically associated with low-income countries—occurs everywhere there are disparities in socio-demographic variables, including, wealth, age, and migrant status. Often disparities in outcomes are due to inequitable application of timely evidence-based care.
• TMTS—historically associated with high-income countries—is rapidly increasing everywhere, particularly as more women use facilities for childbirth. Increasing rates of potentially harmful practices, especially in the private sector, reflect weak regulatory capacity as well as little adherence to evidence-based guidelines.
• Caesarean section is a globally recognised maternal health-care indicator, and an example of both TLTL and TMTS—with disparate rates between and within countries, and higher rates in private practice and higher wealth quintiles. Caesarean section rates are highest in middle-income countries and rising in most low-income countries. Although researchers partly attribute the increase and variable rates to a shortage of clear, clinical guidelines and little adherence to existing guidelines, multiple factors—economic, logistical, and cultural—affect caesarean section rates.
• Quality clinical practice guidelines need to be developed that reflect consensus among guideline developers, using similar language, similar strengths of recommendation, and agreement on direction of recommendations.
• Strategies for enhanced implementation and adherence to guidelines need multisectorial input and rigorous implementation science.
• A global approach that supports eff ective and sustained implementation of respectful, evidence-based care for routine antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care is urgently needed. 

1 comment:

Skill Mentor for today for better tomorrow said...

Such a pragmatic Human being that you are society has been waiting for. You have the gods and you have the skill that apt needed to bring your home town to be called as 2nd Medical Hub of Western Odisha. All the Best Sir God Bless you.