How far can a complex system with increased interventions be pushed?

Citation

Bewley S & McIntosh B (2013) How far can a complex system with increased interventions be pushed?. British Journal of Midwifery, 20 (3), pp. 170-172. https://www-magonlinelibrary-com.ezproxy.stir.ac.uk/doi/full/10.12968/bjom.2012.20.3.170

Abstract
Postnatal care is an area for serious concern, with readmission of women and infants following discharge having increased significantly over the past decade. A reduction in average postnatal stays together with care delivered by many members of a fragmented multidisciplinary team disallowing full timely assessments of health needs, are reasons cited for this. There is a disjuncture between process, policy and health outcomes in maternity and neonatal outcomes. While there is evidence indicating what needs to be done to reduce mortality and morbidity and improve outcomes, more is required in relation to how this is done; central to this is innovation. Currently, the NHS does not have sufficient useful data on the extent to which frontline workers are delivering needed interventions, or their short and long-term impacts. Unscheduled maternity and neonatal admissions are supposedly a key indicator of the quality of maternity care. An understanding of why these incidents occur could generate significant cost reductions at a time of severe austerity and enhance the quality of care and safety for women and their infants.

Keywords
Postnatal care Maternity care Quality of care National Health Service (NHS) Readmissions