Premium
Evaluation of maternal health programs: approaches, methods and indicators
Author(s) -
Bobadilla J.L.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/0020-7292(92)90035-h
Subject(s) - medicine , observational study , randomized controlled trial , program evaluation , confidentiality , environmental health , nursing , actuarial science , risk analysis (engineering) , statistics , mathematics , surgery , pathology , political science , law , business
Evaluation of maternal health services is an essential function of any health system. Single or multiple aspects of a program can be evaluated but they must be clearly defined. To assess success of a program the dimensions of coverage, equity, quality, women's satisfaction, efficiency and cost‐effectiveness must be considered. These can be measured according to some standard criteria, and various methods are described, including randomized clinical trials, randomized community trials, before and after studies, and observational studies, including the case‐control approach and confidential inquiries into maternal deaths. Indicators to assess effectiveness of a maternal health program may relate to structure, i.e., available resources or organizational arrangement; process, including changes in quantity of services provided; or outcome indicators that measure maternal mortality or morbidity.