Indicators from training healthcare providers on WHO-recommended best practices in prenatal care in Brazil: A...

To analyze prenatal indicators of management, process, and obstetrical outcomes, before and after training healthcare providers on the WHO recommendations for best evidence-based practices.

A quasi-experimental before-and-after operational study was conducted from January to July 2022. The study occurred in seven healthcare units and one municipal hospital on the coast of Brazil. Medical charts of all pregnant women receiving prenatal care in the sample units during this period were reviewed. Hospital data collection was conducted, with medical chart review of all postpartum women who had given birth in January and June and came from the same sample units. All healthcare professionals of the sample units participated in training focused on the best prenatal practices. For data analysis, the χ²-test, Fisher exact test and Student t-test were used, with a significance level of P values less than 0.05.

In all, 568 medical charts were studied, 278 in the "before" and 290 in the "after" training period. After training, a significant improvement occurred with records of increased screening for: anemia (from 74% to 92%), HIV (from 95% to 98%), diabetes (from 75% to 93%), asymptomatic bacteriuria (from 74% to 88%), and ultrasound scan before 24 weeks of pregnancy (from 74% to 85%), although the management record of pregnant women with anemia was worse (from 85% to 45%).

Training was efficient in terms of process indicators. After staff training, there was a significant increase in documented screening for main maternal clinical conditions, including anemia, diabetes, and asymptomatic bacteriuria, although clinical management did not consistently improve.