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Mothers first: Unlocking the potential of Northern Ireland’s administrative maternity data

Safe People

Organisation name

Ulster University

Organisation sector

Academic Institute

Applicant name(s)

Jamie Murphy

Safe Projects

Project ID

E045

Lay summary

We propose to unlock the potential of Northern Ireland’s administrative maternity data (Northern Ireland Regional Maternity system (NIMATS)) in two important ways. First, we propose to immediately unlock the potential of extant Northern Ireland Regional Maternity system (NIMATS) data by generating a detailed and comprehensive description of expectant mothers in NI, with a specific focus on capturing and profiling, often overlooked, ‘at risk’ mothers. This profiling will, in turn, afford a valuable opportunity to more accurately analyse and describe a broad array of maternal health behaviours, labour and delivery experiences, mother-baby interactions and offspring health that can vary as a consequence of maternal identity/risk. In doing so we aim to demonstrate the current utility of Northern Ireland Regional Maternity system (NIMATS) as an administrative data resource, capable of recognizing all mothers in NI, and informing and directing those responsible for maternity health care, policy, education and research. Second, we propose to explore the future potential of Northern Ireland Regional Maternity system (NIMATS) through a detailed, stakeholder informed, interrogation, review and analysis of extant data in terms of data quality, quantity and utility so that future data collection can address current data gaps. To advance this further we will explore Northern Ireland Regional Maternity system (NIMATS)’ viability as (i) a sampling frame for NI’s first birth cohort and (ii) a foundation administrative data resource for NI’s first, life course, administrative data spine. This birth-cohort oriented framework, will explore if/how Northern Ireland Regional Maternity system (NIMATS) can be optimised, by potentially (i) supplementing it with rich, detailed survey/clinical based data (on mothers, fathers, grandparents and offspring) and (ii) linking it to later life course data generated from the cohort and future administrative data resources. important ways.

Public benefit statement

Since the 2012 publication of A Strategy for Maternity Care in Northern Ireland (2012-18), the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) published the Review of A Strategy for Maternity Care in Northern Ireland (2012-18) in 2017. This review aimed to consider progress made by the Maternity Strategy Implementation Group (MSIG) in relation to taking forward the goals and objectives of the 2012 Strategy since its publication. The MSIG acknowledged that although considerable progress has been made, “major challenges remain in tackling inequalities in health, both in particular groups in society and also in particular areas of high deprivation”. The RQIA report indicated that a significant challenge was for Trusts to ensure that both regional public health programs and local initiatives being developed are evidence-based. This is particularly pertinent given the view that “maternity services have moved on significantly since the development of the Strategy, becoming ever more complex, and that this has made the objectives difficult to implement, specifically in relation to what is considered the normalization of pregnancy” The research findings of this proposed research investigation will contribute to ongoing efforts to fully implement the recommendations of the 2012 Strategy through the delivery of research objectives.

Latest approval date

17/07/2019

Safe Data

Dataset(s) name

Safe Setting

Access type

TRE