title: Community-based continuity of midwifery care versus standard hospital care: a cost analysis.
abstract: This paper reports the costs of providing a new model of maternity care compared to standard care in an Australian public hospital. The mean cost of providing care per woman was lower in the group who had the new model of care compared with standard care ($2,579 versus $3,483). Cost savings associated with new model of care were maintained even after costs associated with admission to special care nursery were excluded. The cost saving was also sustained even when the caesarean section rate in the new model of care increased to beyond that of the standard care group.
authors.affiliation: Midwifery Practice and Research Centre (Centre for Family Health and Midwifery, UTS and St George Hospital), Sydney.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Homer
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Matha
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wills
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017046:Cost Savings; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009313:National Health Programs; D009517:New South Wales; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome