title: Identifying maternity services in public hospitals in rural and remote Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper articulates the importance of accurately identifying maternity services. It describes the process and challenges of identifying the number, level and networks of rural and remote maternity services in public hospitals serving communities of between 1000 and 25000 people across Australia, and presents the findings of this process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health departments and the national government's websites, along with lists of public hospitals, were used to identify all rural and remote Australian public hospitals offering maternity services in small towns. State perinatal reports were reviewed to establish numbers of births by hospital. The level of maternity services and networks of hospitals within which services functioned were determined via discussion with senior jurisdictional representatives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 198 rural and remote public hospitals offering maternity services were identified. There were challenges in sourcing information on maternity services to generate an accurate national picture. The nature of information about maternity services held centrally by jurisdictions varied, and different frameworks were used to describe minimum requirements for service levels. Service networks appeared to be based on a combination of individual links, geography and transport infrastructure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of readily available centralised and comparable information on rural and remote maternity services has implications for policy review and development, equity, safety and quality, network development and planning. Accountability for services and capacity to identify problems is also compromised.
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Email: ; ; ; ;
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Longman
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Email: ; ; ; ;
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pilcher
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Email: ; ; ; ;
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Donoghue
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Email: ; ; ; ;
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rolfe
authors.affiliation: Women's Health and Newborn Services (Maternity) Mater Health Services, Australian Catholic University and Mater Medical Research Institute, Level 1, Aubigny Place, Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia. Email:
authors.forename: Sue V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kildea
authors.affiliation: Queensland Centre for Mothers & Babies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kruske
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, PO Box 5266, Burnley, Victoria 3121, Australia. Email:
authors.forename: Jeremy J N
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Oats
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Email: ; ; ; ;
authors.forename: Geoffrey G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney, PO Box 3074, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Email: ; ; ; ;
authors.forename: Lesley M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Barclay
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D001723:Birth Rate / Q000639:trends; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011247:Pregnancy; D012424:Rural Population