The WA Goldfields Aboriginal Community Antenatal Program—A community midwifery initiative

To investigate the acceptability and satisfaction with the Aboriginal Community Antenatal Programby staff in the program and partner agencies.

A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats framework guided the research and datacollection methods. Mixed methodology was used, accessing qualitative and quantitative informationfrom data bases, program and supporting agency staff. Quantitative data were analysed through a socialsciences statistical package. Qualitative data were identified through questionnaires and analysed usingthematic analysis.

Remote Aboriginal communities in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.Participant sources: Twenty two participants including program and supporting agency staff.Main outcome measures: This study measures acceptability and satisfaction of program antenatal andpre-conception activities by program staff and partner agencies.

Qualitative results indicate acceptability and satisfaction with the program, identifying a rangeof organisational, staffing, cultural and interagency issues relating to a model of service provision. Quan-titative data suggested positive program outputs from service delivery.

Findings suggest the Aboriginal Community Antenatal Program and partner agencies areincreasing provision of community based pre-conception and antenatal health services and enhancingcollaboration between a range of health provider agencies, with partnerships between Aboriginal andnon-Aboriginal program staff contributing to an emerging model of community antenatal care.