Maternal Health and Child Health Systems Assessment Tool
Version 2.1

A tool for assessment of health service systems to support maternal health and child health
Health during early childhood and pregnancy has long term and wide ranging impacts on the general health of populations. Promotion of good health in pregnancy and childhood are therefore critical activities of primary health care services. Health service systems need to be organised to meet the specific needs of maternal and child care alongside the other major aspects of these services, such as acute and chronic illness care.
Health care organisations require practical tools to guide efforts and evaluate changes in maternal and child health. This ABCD Systems
4. Decision Support refers to systems to ensure easy accessibility of evidence based information to inform decisions related to individual clinical care, and the promotion and protection of the health of the service population.
5. Delivery System Design refers to the extent to which the design of service infrastructure, work flow, staffing and other service delivery systems maximises the potential effectiveness of the health service.
6. Information systems refers to the quality and use of systems to generate and share information about the health service client population and individual clients, and the service processes and outcomes to inform decisions about effective service planning and operation.
7. Integration refers to how well the above components of the service work in a mutually supportive way that maximises the potential effectiveness of the health service.

For more information about the scale, or to discuss the contents, please contact:
Michelle Dowden or Ross Bailie, Menzies School of Health Research - Ph: 08 8922 8196; Fax: 08 8927 5187

Version 2.1
Last Updated 30/03/07

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1. Organisational influence
Create a culture, organisation and mechanisms that promote safe, high quality care.
Programs for maternal and child ill health can be more effective if the overall