Longitudinal continuity of care during antenatal and delivery in the Volta Region of Ghana

Samuel K.K. Dery, Moses Aikins, Ernest T. Maya

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To determine the extent of longitudinal continuity of care (CoC) during pregnancy and delivery in the Volta Region of Ghana. Methods: Longitudinal data were used from the National Health Insurance Claims Dataset for the period January to December 2013 for pregnant women who sought antenatal and delivery care in the region. Pregnant women who delivered at a health facility with at least three visits were included in the study. Five CoC indices were calculated for each pregnant woman. Results: Of the 14 474 pregnant women included in the study, 58.4% had perfect CoC. Mean CoC indices were: most frequent provider continuity (MFPC) 0.82 ± 0.25; modified, modified continuity index (MMCI) 0.86 ± 0.20; continuity of care index (COCI) 0.76 ± 0.30; sequential continuity index (SECON) 0.80 ± 0.28; and place of delivery continuity (PDC) 0.68 ± 0.41. Conclusion: There are relatively medium to high levels of CoC indices during pregnancy and delivery, with place of delivery CoC having the lowest score, an indication that more pregnant women switched providers during delivery. There is a need for policy to ensure CoC during pregnancy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)219-224
Number of pages6
JournalInternational Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
Volume151
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2020

Keywords

  • Antenatal care
  • Claims data
  • Continuity of care
  • Ghana
  • Health insurance
  • Pregnancy
  • Volta Region

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Longitudinal continuity of care during antenatal and delivery in the Volta Region of Ghana'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this