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Evaluating Perinatal Health in Europe: A Comparison of Routine Population Birth Data Sources
Marianne Philibert1, Mika Gissler2,3, Oscar Zurriaga4,5
1Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology, Université Paris Cité, Inserm, Paris, France.
Insights
European countries show varied data sources for perinatal health indicators. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) linked with other sources offer the best data availability for these crucial population health benchmarks.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Perinatal Epidemiology
- Health Informatics
Background:
- International comparisons of birth data are vital for assessing perinatal health policies.
- Routine national data sources are key for evaluating population health outcomes.
- Standardized perinatal indicators are essential for cross-national health policy evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe routine national data sources across European countries.
- To assess the capacity of these sources to provide core perinatal health indicators.
- To identify variations in data collection methods for perinatal statistics in Europe.
Main Methods:
- The Euro-Peristat Network collected data from 2015-2021 using a common data model.
- A federated protocol with 16 core data items was employed.
- Countries were classified based on the number of data items provided (16, 15-14, <14).
Main Results:
- Twenty-nine European countries participated, reporting on data sources like birth certificates and Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
- Population coverage was high (≥98%), with 17 countries achieving 100% completeness.
- Countries providing all 16 indicators predominantly used linked EMRs, demonstrating superior data availability.
Conclusions:
- Significant disparities exist in European countries' data sources for perinatal health indicators.
- The integration of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) with other data sources is associated with better data availability.
- Standardizing and linking data sources can improve the quality and comparability of European perinatal health statistics.
Background:
International comparisons of population birth data provide essential benchmarks for evaluating perinatal health policies.
Objectives:
This study aimed to describe routine national data sources in Europe by their ability to provide core perinatal health indicators.
Methods:
The Euro-Peristat Network collected routine national data on a recommended set of core indicators from 2015 to 2021 using a federated protocol based on a common data model with 16 data items. Data providers completed an online questionnaire to describe the sources used in each country. We classified countries by the number of data items they provided (all 16, 15-14, < 14).
Results:
A total of 29 out of the 31 countries that provided data responded to the survey. Routine data sources included birth certificates (15 countries), electronic medical records (EMR) from delivery hospitalisations (16 countries), direct entry by health providers (9 countries), EMR from other care providers (7 countries) and Hospital Discharge Summaries (7 countries). Completeness of population coverage was at least 98%, with 17 countries reporting 100%. These databases most often included mothers giving birth in the national territory, regardless of nationality or place of residence (24 countries), whereas others register births to residents only. In 20 countries, routine sources were linked, including linkage between birth and death certificates (16 countries). Countries providing all 16 items (n = 8) were more likely to use EMRs from delivery hospitalisations (100%) compared to 50% and 11% in countries with 15-14 items (n = 12) and < 14 items (n = 9), respectively. Linkage was also more common in these countries (100%) versus 75% and 56%, respectively. Other data source characteristics did not differ by the ability to provide data on core perinatal indicators.
Conclusions:
There are wide differences between countries in the data sources used to construct perinatal health indicators in Europe. Countries using EMR linking to other sources had the best data availability.
