New programme of antenatal care in general practice.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Primary Health Care
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Traditional antenatal care models involve frequent visits for all pregnant individuals, regardless of risk.
• Recent analyses question the clinical necessity of routine, high-frequency antenatal attendances for low-risk pregnancies.
• Modern primary health care teams aim to optimize resource allocation and patient care pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of revised antenatal care protocols on consultation frequency for low-risk pregnant individuals.
• To assess the reallocation of healthcare resources following reductions in routine antenatal visits.
• To determine if organized, well-documented care can maintain or improve outcomes for low-risk pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of evidence-based conclusions from clinical worth analyses of antenatal attendances.
• Redesigning care pathways within a primary health care team setting.
• Tracking changes in the number of consultations for low-risk nulliparous and multiparous women with general practitioners and midwives.

Main Results:

• Reduced general practitioner consultations for low-risk nulliparous women (from 15 to 8) and multiparous women (from 15 to 6).
• Significant reduction in midwife consultations.
• Saved time is redirected to longer, more structured consultations and intensive care for high-risk, often socially deprived, women.

Conclusions:

• Optimized antenatal care schedules can significantly reduce routine visits for low-risk pregnancies.
• Reallocation of resources enables more intensive and personalized care for high-risk individuals.
• Well-organized and documented antenatal care can make hospital attendances largely unnecessary for low-risk women.