Routine Antenatal Care
Resource type
Authors/contributors
- Wiggers, John (Author)
- O'Dea, Ian (Author)
- Gray, Jane (Author)
- Lynch, Margaret (Author)
- Tay, Tracey (Author)
- Hay, Liz (Author)
- Mackenzie, Marika (Author)
- Swan, Judith (Author)
- Harrison, Karen (Author)
Title
Routine Antenatal Care
Abstract
The John Hunter Hospital (JHH) is a tertiary referral public hospital located in Newcastle, New South Wales and is a facility of the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNE LHD). The Antenatal Clinics in JHH receive around 3,500 referrals each year for women at all levels of risk related to their pregnancy. The JHH Maternity service was one of the first specialist services to participate in the HealthPathways process.
In collaboration with General Practice, the JHH Maternity service developed a suite of 17 HealthPathways including the Routine Antenatal Care HealthPathway.
Series Title
Hunter & New England HealthPathways Phase 2 Evaluation
Date
July 2014
Language
en
Notes
Study topic:
Evaluation of the Routine Antenatal Care HealthPathway developed to improve referral quality, access to care, and shared antenatal care in the Hunter New England region.
Study type:
Mixed methods programme evaluation (including referral audits, usage analytics, and stakeholder feedback)
Key findings:
- The Routine Antenatal Care HealthPathway was developed to improve referral quality, triage consistency, and timely access to antenatal care in the Hunter New England region.
- Referral processing time decreased from an average of 19.8 days to 3.5 days following implementation of the Referral Information Management System and HealthPathways.
- 40% of referrals were made using the HealthPathways form; among these, 95% named a specialist compared to 66% of other referrals.
- 84% of women referred using the HealthPathways form were seen within the recommended gestation timeframe, compared to 54% of those referred using other forms and 58% pre-implementation.
- Quality of referrals improved, with notable increases in inclusion of contact details (+28%), medications (+43%), expected date of confinement (+15%), and past obstetric history (+75%).
- Collaborative development between GPs and maternity clinicians ensured locally relevant, consensus-based guidance for both primary and hospital care providers.
- Audits showed that referrals using the HealthPathways form were significantly more complete and aligned with triage criteria, improving service coordination and timely care.
- While overall uptake of shared antenatal care did not significantly increase, HealthPathways improved GP confidence, education access, and communication with maternity services.
- HealthPathways served as a key mechanism for disseminating clinical guidance, standardising referral processes, and enhancing communication between primary care and maternity services.
Citation
Wiggers, J., O’Dea, I., Gray, J., Lynch, M., Tay, T., Hay, L., Mackenzie, M., Swan, J., & Harrison, K. (2014). Routine Antenatal Care (Hunter & New England HealthPathways Phase 2 Evaluation).
Topic
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