The development of a classification system for maternity models of care.
BACKGROUND
A lack of standard terminology or means to identify and define models of maternity care in Australia has prevented accurate evaluations of outcomes for mothers and babies in different models of maternity care.


OBJECTIVE
As part of the Commonwealth-funded National Maternity Data Development Project, a classification system was developed utilising a data set specification that defines characteristics of models of maternity care.


METHODS
The Maternity Care Classification System or MaCCS was developed using a participatory action research design that built upon the published and grey literature.


RESULTS
The study identified the characteristics that differentiate models of care and classifies models into eleven different Major Model Categories.


CONCLUSIONS
The MaCCS will enable individual health services, local health districts (networks), jurisdictional and national health authorities to make better informed decisions for planning, policy development and delivery of maternity services in Australia.
School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia n.donnolley@unsw.edu.au.
Natasha
N
Donnolley
Australian Institute of Health Service Management, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia.
Kerryn
K
Butler-Henderson
School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Michael
M
Chapman
School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Elizabeth
E
Sullivan
D001315:Australia; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing / Q000145:classification* / Q000592:standards*; D064872:Patient Care Bundles; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000145:classification* / Q000592:standards*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D009626:Terminology as Topic
classification; data collection; health care evaluation mechanisms; health information systems; patient care bundles; perinatal care