Adapting home-based records for maternal and child health to users' capacities

Abstract

Home-based records have been used in both low- and high-income countries to improve maternal and child health. Traditionally, these were mostly stand-alone records that supported a single maternal and child health-related programme, such as the child vaccination card or growth chart. Recently, an increasing number of countries are using integrated home-based records to support all or part of maternal and child health-related programmes, as in the maternal and child health handbook. Policy-makers’ expectations of home-based records are often unrealistic and important functions of the records remain underused, leading to loss of confidence in the process, and to wasted resources and opportunities for care. We need to examine the gaps between the functions of the records and the extent to which users of records (pregnant women, mothers, caregivers and health-care workers) are knowledgeable and skilful enough to make those expected functions happen. Three key functions, with increasing levels of complexity, may be planned in home-based records: (i) data recording and storage; (ii) behaviour change communication, and (iii) monitoring and referral. We define a function–capacity conceptual framework for home-based records showing how increasing number and complexity of functions in a home-based record requires greater capacity among its users. The type and functions of an optimal home-based record should be strategically selected in accordance not only with demands of the health system, but also the capacities of the record users.

The Antidiphtheria Antibodies of Seroepidemiology Survey Among Adolescents in Bangkalan and Kediri Districts

“…The parental memory is another source of evidence, but it is well known already that this memory is less valid (Hughes et al, 2015;Nanthavong et al, 2015). Any forms of notes or records are important elements in a successful immunization program (Osaki & Aiga, 2019).…”

Is Parent Engagement with a Child Health Home-Based Record Associated with Parents Perceived Attitude towards Health Professionals and Satisfaction with the Record? A Cross-Sectional Survey of Parents in New South Wales, Australia

“…Of the three domains of parent engagement with the home-based record assessed, parents regularly took the record book for routine child health checks (63.4%) compared to reading (37.2%) or writing (40.1%) information in the book. This may not be unconnected with the fact that one of the key rationales of providing parents with a home-based record is to take it along for all health contacts [ 3 , 14 , 23 ], which enables continuity of care [ 17 ] and improved communication between parents and professionals [ 24 ]. Similarly, parents view nurses as the most likely professionals to use/refer to the record book during consultations in comparison to GPs and pediatricians, among others.…”

“…Following the WHO review, Brown et al, [ 2 ] added that improvements are needed in health workers’ utilization of home-based record books when working with care givers/parents, including; requesting, referencing, and updating the record. Accordingly, parents and care givers of children must be capable of retaining such records and be committed to take it to the point of service to improve potential for a good start in children’s early life [ 3 ].…”

Impact of the Maternal and Child Health handbook in Angola for improving continuum of care and other maternal and child health indicators: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

“…In addition to other uses, the MCH handbook functions as a self-learning material, has the potential to reduce the need for multiple health records [12] and supports improvements in CoC [13,14]. As a result, the MCH handbook has been attracting more attention from health ministries and professional organisations as an effective tool for promoting a life course approach to health care [11].…”

“…The MCH handbook is an integrated home-based record (HBR) and is part of a scheme designed to record, in a single document, all the information and data regarding health services provided to and the health conditions of a mother and her child during the course of pregnancy, delivery and after birth, such as maternal care and the child’s growth pattern and vaccination schedule [ 10 , 11 ]. In addition to other uses, the MCH handbook functions as a self-learning material, has the potential to reduce the need for multiple health records [ 12 ] and supports improvements in CoC [ 13 , 14 ].…”