Clinical Care Algorithms of Proven Interventions to Achieve a High Standard of Perinatal Care

Rationale: Improve perinatal outcomes by fully utilizing existing resources and raising quality of services by implementing standardized perinatal care to prevent and manage complications of labor and delivery (stillbirth, prematurity, obstructed labor).

Approach: Introduction of concise evidence-based care algorithms to improve service delivery that are rapidly adapted to local conditions to directly address entrenched challenges in the adequacy and timeliness of care for immediate threats to mothers and newborns.

Objective and Impact: A proof of concept field trial of an affordable and scalable care tool that realizes timely and appropriate action by care providers resulting in quality perinatal care at local national standards during the high risk perinatal period. This fulfills a widely voiced global need that will drive coverage to prevent avoidable stillbirth, newborn and maternal deaths. We will evaluate the impact of perinatal care algorithms on service delivery and demand through measures of health outcomes (stillbirth, preterm, neonatal and maternal mortality), provider performance, acceptability, feasibility, and cost effectiveness.

Innovation: This clear, concise, affordable clinical tool delineates decision points, key equipment, and action steps which are proven, measurable, and sustainable. This approach leverages existing investment in health infrastructure and service delivery, foundational national care guidelines/standards, and job aids (partograph, safe childbirth checklist) to drive optimal clinical action. This favors greater patient satisfaction from responsive competent perinatal care resulting in demand creation for attended birth services. This is also a robust platform for the introduction of new interventions and technology creating further improvement in care and health outcomes.