Well, they made sense to Toronto's St. Joseph's Community Health Centre, which averages 2,800 deliveries a year. When hospital staff looked at the studies, they realized that hospital maternity stays could be decreased to the new norm of 24 hours for an uncomplicated delivery if home support was increased. But the hospital needed help to organize a. It turned to one group with considerable experience in continuity of care -- the six local community health centres -- along with Toronto's Public Health Services and St. Elizabeth's Health Care Corporation visiting nurses. What's
surprising about this sensible Together, these groups have set up a program under which women discharged from the maternity ward get a telephone call and a home visit from a nurse within 24 hours. The hospital pays for the visits -- up to two are allowed -- but the 7-day-a-week, 24-hour program is run collaboratively. The home visits allow nurses to quickly identify problems with breast feeding and the related issues of dehydration and jaundice -- problems that, if unattended, could lead to potentially serious complications, says Kay Marsh, nurse practitioner at Four Villages community health centre. As well, the nurses sometimes identify cases of post-partum hemorrhage and post-partum depression. (Other participating CHCs are the Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Centre, Stonegate CHC, Lakeshore Areas Multi-Service Project and Access Alliance Multi-Cultural Centre.) Marsh notes that while nurses from public health and St. Elizabeth's have to make their visits "cold", since they typically have no previous history with the women, CHC nurses and clients have the advantage of familiarity since they make home visits to women who've received CHC prenatal care. An evaluation of the program, which began in June 97, is underway, says Shannon Haverstock, clinical nurse specialist for maternal and childcare at St. Joseph's Community Health. Preliminary results show high satisfaction among new mothers. Organizers also hope to be able to show that the program is also preventative because early intervention means fewer hospital re-admissions for complications. What's surprising about this sensible mother-baby support program is how unusual it is. Haverstock says she knows of only one other Toronto hospital with similar follow-up home visits. Some hospitals arrange follow-up appointments within a day or two, but the appointments are at the hospital, which can present difficulties for the women. Related Web Links:
|