Li, Y;
Kurinczuk, JJ;
Gale, C;
Siassakos, D;
Carson, C;
(2021)
Evidence of disparities in the provision of the maternal postpartum 6-week check in primary care in England, 2015-2018: an observational study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD).
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
10.1136/jech-2021-216640.
Preview |
Text
jech-2021-216640.full.pdf - Published Version Download (330kB) | Preview |
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A maternal postpartum 6-week check (SWC) with a general practitioner (GP) is now considered an essential service in England, a recent policy change intended to improve women's health. We aimed to provide an up-to-date snapshot of the prevalence of SWC prior to the policy change as a baseline, and to explore factors associated with having a late or no check. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study using primary care records in England (Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)). 34 337 women who gave birth between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2018 and had ≥12 weeks of follow-up post partum were identified in the CPRD Pregnancy Register. The proportion who had evidence of an SWC with a GP was calculated, and regression analysis was used to assess the association between women's characteristics and risks of a late or no check. RESULTS: Sixty-two per cent (95% CI 58% to 67%) of women had an SWC recorded at their GP practice within 12 weeks post partum, another 27% had other consultations. Forty per cent had an SWC at the recommended 6-8 weeks, 2% earlier and 20% later. A late or no check was more common among younger women, mothers of preterm babies or those registered in more deprived areas. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 40% of women did not have a postpartum SWC recorded. Provision or uptake was not equitable; younger women and those in more deprived areas were less likely to have a record of such check, suggesting postpartum care in general practice may be missing some women who need it most.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Evidence of disparities in the provision of the maternal postpartum 6-week check in primary care in England, 2015-2018: an observational study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1136/jech-2021-216640 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2021-216640 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to copy, redistribute, remix, transform and build upon this work for any purpose, provided the original work is properly cited, a link to the licence is given, and indication of whether changes were made. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| Keywords: | cohort studies, health services, maternal health, perinatal epidemiology, primary care |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health > Maternal and Fetal Medicine |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10136020 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
