Improving systems of care during and after a pregnancy complicated by hyperglycaemia: A protocol for a complex health systems intervention.

BACKGROUND: Many women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy do not receive care during and after pregnancy according to standards recommended in international guidelines. The burden of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy falls disproportionately upon Indigenous peoples worldwide, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia. The remote and regional Australian context poses additional barriers to delivering healthcare, including high staff turnover and a socially disadvantaged population with a high prevalence of diabetes. METHODS: A complex health systems intervention to improve care for women during and after a pregnancy complicated by hyperglycaemia will be implemented in remote and regional Australia (the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland). The Theoretical Domains Framework was used during formative work with stakeholders to identify intervention components: (1) increasing workforce capacity, skills and knowledge and improving health literacy of health professionals and women; (2) improving access to healthcare through culturally and clinically appropriate pathways; (3) improving information management and communication; (4) enhancing policies and guidelines; (5) embedding use of a clinical register as a quality improvement tool. The intervention will be evaluated utilising the RE-AIM framework at two timepoints: firstly, a qualitative interim evaluation involving interviews with stakeholders (health professionals, champions and project implementers); and subsequently a mixed-methods final evaluation of outcomes and processes: interviews with stakeholders; survey of health professionals; an audit of electronic health records and clinical register; and a review of operational documents. Outcome measures include changes between pre- and post-intervention in: proportion of high risk women receiving recommended glucose screening in early pregnancy; diabetes-related birth outcomes; proportion of women receiving recommended postpartum care including glucose testing; health practitioner confidence in providing care, knowledge and use of relevant guidelines and referral pathways, and perception of care coordination and communication systems; changes to health systems including referral pathways and clinical guidelines. DISCUSSION: This study will provide insights into the impact of health systems changes in improving care for women with hyperglycaemia during and after pregnancy in a challenging setting. It will also provide detailed information on process measures in the implementation of such health system changes.

Diabetes care in remote Australia: the antenatal, postpartum and inter-pregnancy period.

BACKGROUND: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience high rates of diabetes in pregnancy (DIP), contributing to health risks for mother and infant, and the intergenerational cycle of diabetes. By enhancing diabetes management during pregnancy, postpartum and the interval between pregnancies, the DIP Partnership aims to improve health outcomes and reduce risks early in the life-course. We describe a mixed methods formative study of health professional's perspectives of antenatal and post-partum diabetes screening and management, including enablers and barriers to care. METHODS: Health professionals involved in providing diabetes care in pregnancy, from a range of health services across the Northern Territory, completed the survey (n = 82) and/or took part in interviews and/or focus groups (n = 62). RESULTS: Qualitative findings highlighted factors influencing the delivery of care as reported by health professionals, including: whose responsibility it is, access to care, the baby is the focus and pre-conception care. The main challenges were related to: disjointed systems and confusion around whose role it is to provide follow-up care beyond six weeks post-partum. Quantitative findings indicated that the majority of health professionals reported confidence in their own skills to manage women in the antenatal period (62%, 40/79) and slightly lower rates of confidence in the postpartum interval (57%, 33/58). CONCLUSION: These findings regarding whose role it is to provide postpartum care, along with opportunities to improve communication pathways and follow up care have informed the design of a complex health intervention to improve health systems and the provision of DIP related care.

Birth outcomes in women with gestational diabetes managed by lifestyle modification alone: The PANDORA study.

AIMS: To assess outcomes of women in the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) cohort with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) managed by lifestyle modification compared with women without hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. METHODS: Indigenous (n = 97) and Europid (n = 113) women managed by lifestyle modification were compared to women without hyperglycaemia (n = 235). Multivariate linear and logistic regressions assessed whether GDM-lifestyle women had poorer outcomes compared to women without hyperglycaemia. RESULTS: Women with GDM-lifestyle had higher body mass index and lower gestational weight gain than women without hyperglycaemia. On univariate analysis, gestational age at delivery was lower and induction rates were higher in women with GDM-lifestyle than without hyperglycaemia. On multivariable regression, GDM-lifestyle was associated with lower gestational age at delivery (by 0.73 weeks), lower birthweight z-score (by 0.26, p = 0.007), lower likelihood of large for gestational age (LGA) [OR (95% CI): 0.55 (0.28, 1.02), p = 0.059], and greater likelihood of labour induction [2.34 (1.49, 3.66), p < 0.001] than women without hyperglycaemia. CONCLUSION: Women with GDM managed by lifestyle modification had higher induction rates and their offspring had lower birthweight z-scores, with a trend to lower LGA than those without hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. Further studies are indicated to explore reasons for higher induction rates.

Making stillbirths visible: a systematic review of globally reported causes of stillbirth.

BACKGROUND: Stillbirth is a global health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) application of the International Classification of Diseases for perinatal mortality (ICD-PM) aims to improve data on stillbirth to enable prevention. OBJECTIVES: To identify globally reported causes of stillbirth, classification systems, and alignment with the ICD-PM. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, Global Health, and Pubmed from 2009 to 2016. SELECTION CRITERIA: Reports of stillbirth causes in unselective cohorts. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Pooled estimates of causes were derived for country representative reports. Systems and causes were assessed for alignment with the ICD-PM. Data are presented by income setting (low, middle, and high income countries; LIC, MIC, HIC). MAIN RESULTS: Eighty-five reports from 50 countries (489 089 stillbirths) were included. The most frequent categories were Unexplained, Antepartum haemorrhage, and Other (all settings); Infection and Hypoxic peripartum (LIC), and Placental (MIC, HIC). Overall report quality was low. Only one classification system fully aligned with ICD-PM. All stillbirth causes mapped to ICD-PM. In a subset from HIC, mapping obscured major causes. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of quality information on causes of stillbirth globally. Improving investigation of stillbirths and standardisation of audit and classification is urgently needed and should be achievable in all well-resourced settings. Implementation of the WHO Perinatal Mortality Audit and Review guide is needed, particularly across high burden settings. FUNDING: HR, SH, SHL, and AW were supported by an NHMRC-CRE grant (APP1116640). VF was funded by an NHMRC-CDF (APP1123611). TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Urgent need to improve data on causes of stillbirths across all settings to meet global targets. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Background and methods Nearly three million babies are stillborn every year. These deaths have deep and long-lasting effects on parents, healthcare providers, and the society. One of the major challenges to preventing stillbirths is the lack of information about why they happen. In this study, we collected reports on the causes of stillbirth from high-, middle-, and low-income countries to: (1) Understand the causes of stillbirth, and (2) Understand how to improve reporting of stillbirths. Findings We found 85 reports from 50 different countries. The information available from the reports was inconsistent and often of poor quality, so it was hard to get a clear picture about what are the causes of stillbirth across the world. Many different definitions of stillbirth were used. There was also wide variation in what investigations of the mother and baby were undertaken to identify the cause of stillbirth. Stillbirths in all income settings (low-, middle-, and high-income countries) were most frequently reported as Unexplained, Other, and Haemorrhage (bleeding). Unexplained and Other are not helpful in understanding why a baby was stillborn. In low-income countries, stillbirths were often attributed to Infection and Complications during labour and birth. In middle- and high-income countries, stillbirths were often reported as Placental complications. Limitations We may have missed some reports as searches were carried out in English only. The available reports were of poor quality. Implications Many countries, particularly those where the majority of stillbirths occur, do not report any information about these deaths. Where there are reports, the quality is often poor. It is important to improve the investigation and reporting of stillbirth using a standardised system so that policy makers and healthcare workers can develop effective stillbirth prevention programs. All stillbirths should be investigated and reported in line with the World Health Organization standards.

Health service changes to address diabetes in pregnancy in a complex setting: perspectives of health professionals.

BACKGROUND: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have high rates of gestational and pre-existing type 2 diabetes in pregnancy. The Northern Territory (NT) Diabetes in Pregnancy Partnership was established to enhance systems and services to improve health outcomes. It has three arms: a clinical register, developing models of care and a longitudinal birth cohort. This study used a process evaluation to report on health professional's perceptions of models of care and related quality improvement activities since the implementation of the Partnership. METHODS: Changes to models of care were documented according to goals and aims of the Partnership and reviewed annually by the Partnership Steering group. A 'systems assessment tool' was used to guide six focus groups (49 healthcare professionals). Transcripts were coded and analysed according to pre-identified themes of orientation and guidelines, education, communication, logistics and access, and information technology. RESULTS: Key improvements since implementation of the Partnership include: health professional relationships, communication and education; and integration of quality improvement activities. Focus groups with 49 health professionals provided in depth information about how these activities have impacted their practice and models of care for diabetes in pregnancy. Co-ordination of care was reported to have improved, however it was also identified as an opportunity for further development. Recommendations included a central care coordinator, better integration of information technology systems and ongoing comprehensive quality improvement processes. CONCLUSIONS: The Partnership has facilitated quality improvement through supporting the development of improved systems that enhance models of care. Persisting challenges exist for delivering care to a high risk population however improvements in formal processes and structures, as demonstrated in this work thus far, play an important role in work towards improving health outcomes.

Preconception care for women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A mixed-methods study of provider knowledge and practice.

AIMS: Preconception care may decrease adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with pre-existing diabetes mellitus. Aboriginal Australians are at high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with earlier onset. We explored practitioner views on preconception care delivery for women with T2DM in the Northern Territory, where 31% of births are to Aboriginal women. METHODS: Mixed-methods study including cross-sectional survey of 156 health practitioners and 11 semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Practitioners reported low attendance for preconception care however, 51% provided counselling on an opportunistic basis. Rural/remote practitioners were most likely to find counselling feasible. The majority (69%) utilised appropriate guidelines and addressed lifestyle modifications including smoking (81%), weight management (79%), and change medications appropriately such as ceasing ACE inhibitors (69%). Fewer (40%) prescribed the recommended dose of folate (5mg) or felt comfortable recommending delaying pregnancy to achieve optimal preconception glucose control (42%). Themes identified as barriers to care included the complexity of care setting and infrequent preconception consultations. There was a focus on motivation of women to make informed choices about conception, including birth spacing, timing and contraception. Preconception care enablers included cross-cultural communication, a multi-disciplinary care team and strong client-based relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Health practitioners are keen to provide preconception counselling and reported knowledge of evidence-based guidelines. Improvements are needed in recommending high dose folate and optimising glucose control. Cross-cultural communication and team-based care were reported as fundamental to successful preconception care in women with T2DM. Continued education and policy changes are required to support practitioners in opportunities to enhance pregnancy planning.

Birthing in the Barkly: births to Barkly women in 2010.

INTRODUCTION: A 2007 review of maternity services in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) noted the dissatisfaction of women in the Barkly region where the birthing service closed in 2006. The review recommended improved integration of maternity services, a consumer focus, and a pilot study of birthing in Tennant Creek Hospital (TCH) in the Barkly region. Barkly region is sparsely populated, with 5700 people in 320,000 km². The town of Tennant Creek with 3100 population is the only centre of more than 1000 people. In the Barkly region, 64% of the population and 74% of birthing women are Aboriginal. Current NT Department of Health (NT DoH) policy requires all women to give birth in a town with facilities for operative delivery. For most Barkly women this means travelling 500 km to Alice Springs with limited support for travel and accommodation. Emergency air evacuation is arranged for all women who enter labour or give birth while in the Barkly region, whether at TCH or elsewhere. This project was a collaboration between Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation and NT DoH to examine clinical data to inform a discussion of re-introducing birthing to TCH. METHODS: Women who were resident in the Barkly region and gave birth in NT in 2010 were identified from the NT Midwives Data Collection. Women who gave birth in Central Australia were managed at Alice Springs Hospital (ASH), either for the birth or afterwards. Antenatal, birthing, postnatal and neonatal data were extracted from ASH records. RESULTS: In total 99 women were identified as residents in the Barkly region from all those who gave birth in 2010. Of these, 83 gave birth in Central Australia, and their records were reviewed for this study, showing that 69 (83%) were Aboriginal; 42 were resident in Tennant Creek; and 29% were aged under 20 years with one under 16 years. Regarding delivery, 53 (64%) women had an unassisted vaginal birth; of 18 women who had had a previous caesarean section, 5 (28%) had a vaginal birth; of the 25 women who had had a normal vaginal birth previously and had no indications for obstetric consultation at the time of labour, three underwent emergency caesarean section. There were 86 infants, all liveborn; 16% were preterm; 21% were of low birth weight; and 6% weighed more than 4.5 kg. Six women gave birth in the Barkly region, two at TCH and four in health centres in remote townships. These mothers and babies were evacuated immediately following birth to ASH, irrespective of indications for referral. Eleven women were evacuated to ASH in labour and six of these were preterm. CONCLUSION: Opportunities exist to improve maternity care through improved collaboration, even when women cannot give birth in or near their home community due to the absence of birthing services. The remote location of the Barkly region presents challenges to providing maternity care that addresses medical, cultural, psychological and social needs of the childbearing population. Because of this, every opportunity should be taken to optimise maternity care by improvements in continuity of care and carer, improved communication between service providers, and the use of evidence-based guidelines.

Effects of continuity of care by a primary midwife (caseload midwifery) on caesarean section rates in women of low obstetric risk: the COSMOS randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether primary midwife care (caseload midwifery) decreases the caesarean section rate compared with standard maternity care. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Tertiary-care women's hospital in Melbourne, Australia. POPULATION: A total of 2314 low-risk pregnant women. METHODS: Women randomised to caseload received antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care from a primary midwife with some care by 'back-up' midwives. Women randomised to standard care received either midwifery or obstetric-trainee care with varying levels of continuity, or community-based general practitioner care. PRIMARY OUTCOME: caesarean birth. Secondary outcomes included instrumental vaginal births, analgesia, perineal trauma, induction of labour, infant admission to special/neonatal intensive care, gestational age, Apgar scores and birthweight. RESULTS: In total 2314 women were randomised-1156 to caseload and 1158 to standard care. Women allocated to caseload were less likely to have a caesarean section (19.4% versus 24.9%; risk ratio [RR] 0.78; 95% CI 0.67-0.91; P = 0.001); more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth (63.0% versus 55.7%; RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.06-1.21; P < 0.001); less likely to have epidural analgesia (30.5% versus 34.6%; RR 0.88; 95% CI 0.79-0.996; P = 0.04) and less likely to have an episiotomy (23.1% versus 29.4%; RR 0.79; 95% CI 0.67-0.92; P = 0.003). Infants of women allocated to caseload were less likely to be admitted to special or neonatal intensive care (4.0% versus 6.4%; RR 0.63; 95% CI 0.44-0.90; P = 0.01). No infant outcomes favoured standard care. CONCLUSION: In settings with a relatively high baseline caesarean section rate, caseload midwifery for women at low obstetric risk in early pregnancy shows promise for reducing caesarean births.

Cardiac function in fetuses of poorly-controlled pre-gestational diabetic pregnancies--a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac impairment is frequently found in babies of diabetic mothers. It is still controversial whether this is due to poor glucose control. The aim of this study is to compare the cardiac function in fetuses of well- and poorly-controlled pre-gestational diabetic pregnancy in third trimester. METHODS: Women with type 1 pre-gestational diabetes were enrolled at 30-32 weeks. Cardiac size and interventricular septal wall thickness were measured by M-mode at end-diastolic phase. The right and left ventricular ejection fractions were calculated. At the mitral and tricuspid valves inflow, the ratio between early ventricular filling and active atrial filling (E/A) at both atrioventricular valves were measured by Doppler echocardiography. Peak velocities of ascending aorta and pulmonary artery were assessed. The angle of isonation was kept at <20 degrees. Women with poorly-controlled diabetes (HbA1c>6.5%) were compared with those with satisfactorily controlled diabetes (HbA1c < or = 6.5%). RESULTS: A total of 21 women with pre-gestational diabetes were recruited for this study. Eight women with well-controlled diabetes were compared with 9 women who had poorly-controlled diabetes. HbA1c in the poorly-controlled group was 7.3% and in the well-controlled group it was 5.4% (p<0.001). There was no difference between the two groups in cardiac size, interventricular septal wall thickness, ejection fraction, aorta and pulmonary artery peak flow velocities. The right atrioventricular E/A ratio was significantly lower among the poorly-controlled diabetic pregnancies (0.71 vs. 0.54; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Fetuses of poorly-controlled diabetic mothers had a lower right atrioventricular E/A ratio. This may be due to metabolic acidosis, non-hypertrophic cardiac dysfunction or fetal polycythemia.

Routine ultrasound screening in diabetic pregnancies.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the detection rate of congenital fetal malformations and specific problems related to routine ultrasound screening in women with pre-existing diabetes. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out to assess the performance of routine ultrasound screening in women with pre-existing diabetes (Types 1 and 2) within a tertiary institution. The incidence, type and risk factors for congenital fetal malformations were determined. The detection rate of fetal anomalies for diabetic women was compared with that for the low-risk population. Factors affecting these detection rates were evaluated. RESULTS: During the study period, 12 169 low-risk pregnant women and 130 women with pre-existing diabetes had routine ultrasound screening performed within the institution. A total of 10 major anomalies (7.7%) and three minor anomalies (2.3%) were present in the fetuses of the diabetic women. Central nervous system and cardiovascular system anomalies accounted for 60% of the major anomalies. Periconceptional hemoglobin A1c of more than 9% was associated with a high prevalence of major anomalies (143/1000). Women who had fetuses with major anomalies had a significantly higher incidence of obesity (78% vs. 37%; P < 0.05). Ultrasound examination of these diabetic pregnancies showed high incidences of suboptimal image quality (37%), incomplete examinations, and repeat examinations (17%). Compared to the 'low-risk' non-diabetic population from the same institution, the relative risk for a major congenital anomaly among the diabetic women was 5.9-fold higher (95% confidence interval, 2.9-11.9). The detection rate for major fetal anomalies was significantly lower for diabetic women (30% vs. 73%; P < 0.01), and the mean body mass index for the diabetic group was significantly higher (29 vs. 23 kg/m2; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The incidence of congenital anomalies is higher in diabetic pregnancies. Unfortunately, the detection rate for fetal anomalies by antenatal ultrasound scan was significantly worse than that for the low-risk population. This is likely to be related to the maternal body habitus and unsatisfactory examinations. Methods to overcome these difficulties are discussed.

Sonographic estimation of fetal weight in macrosomic fetuses: diabetic versus non-diabetic pregnancies.

The objective of this study is to compare the accuracy of sonographic estimation of fetal weight of macrosomic babies in diabetic vs non-diabetic pregnancies. All babies weighing 4,000 g or more at birth, and who had ultrasound scans performed within one week of delivery were included in this retrospective study Pregnancies with diabetes mellitus were compared to those without diabetes mellitus. The mean simple error (actual birthweight--estimated fetal weight); mean standardised absolute error (absolute value of simple error (g)/actual birthweight (kg)); and the percentage of estimated birthweight falling within 15% of the actual birthweight between the two groups were compared. There were 9,516 deliveries during the study period. Of this total 1,211 (12.7%) babies weighed 4,000 g or more. A total of 56 non-diabetic pregnancies and 19 diabetic pregnancies were compared. The average sonographic estimation of fetal weight in diabetic pregnancies was 8% less than the actual birthweight, compared to 0.2% in the non-diabetic group (p < 0.01). The estimated fetal weight was within 15% of the birthweight in 74% of the diabetic pregnancies, compared to 93% of the non-diabetic pregnancies (p < 0.05). In the diabetic group, 26.3 % of the birthweights were underestimated by more than 15 %, compared to 5.4% in the non-diabetic group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the prediction accuracy of fetal weight estimation using standard formulae in macrosomic fetuses is significantly worse in diabetic pregnancies compared to non-diabetic pregnancies. When sonographic fetal weight estimation is used to influence the mode of delivery for diabetic women, a more conservative cut-off needs to be considered.

Clinical pathways involving general practice--a new approach to integrated health care?

The Mater Mothers' Hospital, South Brisbane recently identified a number of difficulties with the maternity share-care program it runs with 1100 local GPs. This paper describes an integration approach developed at the Mater which has addressed these problems via the use of clinical management guidelines across the whole episode of care, the provision of a patient held record/pathway as a clinical practice prompt, clear communication and information management protocols between hospital and general practice, and the provision of continuing medical education for share-care practitioners.

Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome in a newborn with an unbalanced chromosomal translocation.

UNLABELLED: Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndromes may occur as a primary result of distinct genetic disruption of the enzymes involved in processing the carbohydrate moeities of glycoproteins. They may also occur due to a number of secondary defects in glycosylation. CONCLUSION: A female infant with an unbalanced chromosomal translocation [46,XX,der(21)t(17;21) (p13.1;q22.11)mat.ish der(21)t(17;21) (D17S375 x 3, D21S65-)] and with biochemical and clinical features of a carbohydrate deficient glycoprotein syndrome is reported. This chromosomal disruption is another secondary cause of the disorder.

Comparison of the 50 g capillary plasma glucose tolerance test with the 75 g venous plasma glucose tolerance test in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the 50 g oral glucose tolerance test with capillary sampling used in the Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne with the 75 g test with venous sampling advocated by the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society. METHODS: Both the 50 g and 75 g glucose tolerance tests were performed on 60 women. Criteria for diagnosing gestational diabetes were the combination of a 1-hour capillary plasma glucose > or = 9 mmol/l and a 2-hour glucose > or = 7 mmol/l for the 50 g test and a fasting glucose > or = 5.5 mmol/l and/or a 2-hour venous plasma glucose > or = 8.0 mmol/l for the 75 g test. RESULTS: Twenty-eight of 60 women had gestational diabetes diagnosed with the 50 g test; 24 of these, and an additional 5 had gestational diabetes diagnosed on the 75 g test. Twenty-seven women had normal results on both tests. The kappa statistic was 0.70. The 1-hour glucose value was similar for both tests, but the 2-hour value was significantly higher for the 75 g test (mean difference 0.65 mmol/l, 95% confidence limits 0.24-1.01 mmol/l, p = 0.003). The area under the curve was similar for the 2 tests. CONCLUSIONS: The 2 tests diagnose similar women as having gestational diabetes. The combination of a 75 g load and venous sampling gives similar 1-hour but higher 2-hour values than a 50 g load and capillary sampling.