Layman Summary

Quality assessment indicators in antenatal care worldwide: a systematic review

Volume 31 Issue 7 - Layman Summary

Why did we do this study?

Different definitions, indicators/indexes, country-specific standards and international recommendations to assess Antenatal Care (ANC) quantity and quality of utilization do exist, albeit with low comparability and result interpretation from a global perspective.

The importance of ANC quality in terms of the service utilization, has been described in literature. However, few studies have provided information on the most comprehensive and appropriate indicators for its assessment, indicating a knowledge gap in this field. This study aims to characterize indicators and indexes used in the assessment of ANC quality worldwide.

What did we do?

In September 2016, we conducted a systematic review searching several databases to locate eligible studies published since 2002. Also, the quality of studies was assessed using proper techniques.

This systematic review was conducted according to international guidelines and properly registered. The search strategy resulted in 10.605 titles to be examined. After removing duplicates (1.826), a list of 8.779 unique citations was created.  Of these, 8.636 articles were excluded by title/summary and, 135 articles were identified for abstract review according to eligibility criteria. Eighty-six articles were selected for the full-text review.

Key findings

Key messages

Advancing work on quality assessment of antenatal care (ANC) is critical due to lack of standardized measures across countries.

Evidence to establish which are the best indicators for ANC quality assessment is warranted.

Conclusion

Numerous ANC content indicators are being used to assess ANC quality. Although, there is still a need to use standardized indicators across countries. Efforts are needed to improve ANC quality monitoring and evaluation and thus ensure the implementation of the WHO recommendations.

Authors & Affiliations

Lina Sofia Morón-Duarte, Andrea Ramirez Varela, Omar Segura, Mariângela Freitas da Silveira

Address for correspondence:

Lina Sofía Morón-Duarte

Post-Graduate Program in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas

Rua Marechal Deodoro 1160 - Centro, Pelotas – RS – Brazil 96020-220

E-mail: sofismodu@gmail.com

Phone: +55533284-1300

Fax number: +55533284-1300

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