Article type
Year
Abstract
Objective: The SEA-ORCHID project aims to find out if the health of mothers and babies in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia can be improved by increasing the capacity for research synthesis, improving the implementation of effective interventions and identifying gaps in knowledge needing further research.
Methods: The project is an interrupted time series comprising three phases over five years across seven centres (three in Australia and four in South East Asia). The project partners are all members of the Cochrane Collaboration and the project both extends and benefits from the existing Cochrane network. The pre-intervention phase (2004-2005) consists of measuring current practice and associated health outcomes for several important conditions in pregnancy and childbirth at the four SE Asian centres. The intervention phase (2005-2007) is being led by training lecturers based in SE Asia and Australia and consists of training practitioners in evidence-based practice, supporting the preparation of systematic reviews and the development of guidelines, promoting effective dissemination and identifying research priorities. The effect of this intervention will be evaluated in the final phase (2007-2008) by reassessing the practice and outcomes across the same health conditions measured in the pre-intervention phase.
Results: During 2004 the hospitals were selected, the data collection form and web-based collection process piloted and project website established (www.sea-orchid.org). Data collection began in early 2005 and we anticipate collecting data on up to 10,000 births by November 2005.
Conclusions: Basing health care practice and policy decisions on evidence ensures the maximal benefit for investment. This is important in all communities but particularly when resources are low and the threats to health are large. This project has the potential to impact significantly on the health of mothers and their babies in South East Asia by improving care during pregnancy and birth.
Methods: The project is an interrupted time series comprising three phases over five years across seven centres (three in Australia and four in South East Asia). The project partners are all members of the Cochrane Collaboration and the project both extends and benefits from the existing Cochrane network. The pre-intervention phase (2004-2005) consists of measuring current practice and associated health outcomes for several important conditions in pregnancy and childbirth at the four SE Asian centres. The intervention phase (2005-2007) is being led by training lecturers based in SE Asia and Australia and consists of training practitioners in evidence-based practice, supporting the preparation of systematic reviews and the development of guidelines, promoting effective dissemination and identifying research priorities. The effect of this intervention will be evaluated in the final phase (2007-2008) by reassessing the practice and outcomes across the same health conditions measured in the pre-intervention phase.
Results: During 2004 the hospitals were selected, the data collection form and web-based collection process piloted and project website established (www.sea-orchid.org). Data collection began in early 2005 and we anticipate collecting data on up to 10,000 births by November 2005.
Conclusions: Basing health care practice and policy decisions on evidence ensures the maximal benefit for investment. This is important in all communities but particularly when resources are low and the threats to health are large. This project has the potential to impact significantly on the health of mothers and their babies in South East Asia by improving care during pregnancy and birth.
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