title: Structure in Brazilian maternity hospitals: key characteristics for quality of obstetric and neonatal care.
abstract: This study aimed to evaluate key characteristics of structure in a sample of maternity hospitals in Brazil. Structure was evaluated according to Ministry of Health criteria and included: geographic location, obstetric volume, presence of ICU, teaching activities, staff qualifications, and availability of equipment and medicines. The results showed differences in staff qualifications and availability of equipment in obstetric and neonatal care according to type of financing, region of the country, and degree of complexity. The North/Northeast and Central-West regions presented the most serious problems with structure. The public and mixed hospitals were better structured in the South/Southeast, reaching satisfactory levels on various items, similar or superior to the private hospitals. The current study contributes to the debate on quality of structure in Brazil's hospital services and emphasizes the need to develop analytical studies considering process and results of obstetric and neonatal care.
authors.affiliation: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sonia Duarte de
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Azevedo Bittencourt
authors.affiliation: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lenice Gnocchi da
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Costa Reis
authors.affiliation: Subsecretaria de Vigilância, Fiscalização Sanitária e Controle de Zoonoses, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Márcia Melo
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brasil.
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rattner
authors.affiliation: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Lima
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Centro Universitário do Estado do Pará, Belém, Brasil.
authors.forename: Dilma Costa Oliveira
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sandra Lúcia
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Arantes
authors.affiliation: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria do
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Carmo Leal
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors