O95 - Exploring disability identification within public maternity services in Australia

Abstract

In Australia, it is estimated that 10% of women of childbearing age have a disability. There is some evidence that women with a disability have poorer perinatal outcomes, but limited information on the prevalence of women with a disability accessing maternity services, how they are identified and what care and services are available. To explore how public maternity services in Australia identify pregnant women with a disability and to examine the availability of specialised services for such women. A cross-sectional online survey of maternity managers in Australian public hospitals was conducted. Thirty-six percent (70/193) of managers from eligible hospitals responded, including all states and territories. Overall, 71% routinely asked women about disability status, which was usually as part of routine history taking, however there was wide variation in how this was asked. Most (63%) did not have standardised documentation processes and two thirds (65%) were unable to estimate the number of women with a disability seen at their hospital. Thirteen percent of services reported having specialised training for staff in disability identification, documentation and referral pathways. Only a quarter of respondents felt that there were adequate services for women with a disability within their health service. This is the first study to explore disability identification in maternity services in Australia. A large variation in disability identification practices was found. It is imperative that the women with a disability are routinely identified to ensure appropriate clinical care planning and provision, that such data are collected at a national level to inform policy and enable research on any associations between disability status and maternal and neonatal outcomes. National guidelines on disability identification and care pathways for women accessing maternity services are urgently needed.