Integrating Data on Workforce Capacity and Population Needs to Map Access to Maternity Care Providers in Ontario's...

In Ontario, pregnant people can choose to seek care from an obstetrician, family physician, or midwife. This study aimed to determine whether Ontario's Champlain Region displayed the levels of access to the full range of maternity care providers required to afford pregnant people the opportunity to exercise choice of provider. Drawing on data from a census survey of midwifery practice groups, the CIHI National Physician Database, and BORN Ontario, the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method was adapted to calculate provider-specific accessibility scores for communities across the region. The resulting maps revealed inequities in the distribution of access across the region, differences in relative access across provider groups, and underserviced communities with minimal access to any provider group. This study presents a new approach to mapping alignment between maternity care workforce capacity and pregnant people's needs, and illustrates that additional action is required to equitably support access and choice.