Key result
Monitoring of severe maternal morbidity in Australia is currently limited by a paucity of reliable data and inadequate resources compared to peer countries.
Australia lacks reliable data and adequate resources to effectively monitor severe maternal morbidity compared to peer countries.
Data gaps hinder effective clinical surveillance of severe maternal morbidity; leaves open standardized national systems for comparative research.
Maternal mortality has traditionally been the key element in the monitoring of maternal health and adequacy of obstetric services in Australia and around the world. In developed countries, the ability of maternal mortality to serve this purpose is reduced because of the rarity of maternal mortality, reflected in very low maternal mortality ratios. Internationally, there has been increasing interest in severe maternal morbidity as an indicator to monitor maternal health and maternity services. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the capacity to measure and monitor maternal morbidity in Australia. There is a paucity of reliable maternal morbidity data in Australia; Australia is lagging behind peer countries that are endeavouring to monitor severe maternal morbidity. Dedicated efforts and adequate resources are needed in order to monitor severe maternal morbidity in Australia.
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Pollock et al. (2008) conducted a review in Severe maternal morbidity. Monitoring of severe maternal morbidity in Australia is currently limited by a paucity of reliable data and inadequate resources compared to peer countries.
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