title: The effectiveness of introducing Group Prenatal Care (GPC) in selected health facilities in a district of Bangladesh: study protocol.
abstract: Despite high rates of antenatal care and relatively good access to health facilities, maternal and neonatal mortality remain high in Bangladesh. There is an immediate need for implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective interventions to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of the intervention namely Group Prenatal Care (GPC) on utilization of standard number of antenatal care, post natal care including skilled birth attendance and institutional deliveries instead of usual care.
  
  
  
  The study is quasi-experimental in design. We aim to recruit 576 pregnant women (288 interventions and 288 comparisons) less than 20 weeks of gestational age. The intervention will be delivered over around 6 months. The outcome measure is the difference in maternal service coverage including ANC and PNC coverage, skilled birth attendance and institutional deliveries between the intervention and comparison group.
  
  
  
  Findings from the research will contribute to improve maternal and newborn outcome in our existing health system. Findings of the research can be used for planning a new strategy and improving the health outcome for Bangladeshi women. Finally addressing the maternal health goal, this study is able to contribute to strengthening health system.
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Financing Research, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sharani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh. marufa@icddrb.org.
authors.forename: Marufa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Financing Research, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sharani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Rashidul Alam
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mahumud
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Financing Research, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sharani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Nausad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Financing Research, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sharani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh.|Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sayem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Financing Research, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sharani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Ziaul
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, UK.|Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jahangir A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Financing Research, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sharani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh.|University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.
authors.forename: Abdur Razzaque
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sarker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: ANC; Group prenatal care; PNC; Pregnant women