It is very common for pregnant women to no longer see the woods for the trees in the wide offering of consultations and recommendations. Which is why the care partners in Oost-Brabant have joined forces to avoid fragmented care in future. Together with the Plexus hospital network (Leuven - Tienen - Diest), Kind & Gezin, GPs and midwives, the expert centre De Bakermat has developed a newly integrated prenatal care plan. As of Monday 1 November the new plan will be launched.
Until today, care providers often worked side by side. As a result, some pregnant women, especially the more vulnerable ones, were not receiving not nearly enough care. Other future mothers on the other were given too much care. Thanks to the new care plan, double, contradictory or insuffient information will become a thing of the past. Consultations and recommendations are coordinated, resulting in fewer consultations but better care.
Lies Versavel, coordinator expert centre De Bakermat: “From now onwards, all pregnant women in the area will be given the same high-quality care, always with respect for their own choices. There will be one common information leaflet for all pregnant women, wherever and with whomever they happen to start their care plan.”
Coaching for vulnerable women
Because all care providers will be working together more intensively and will be communicatiing unequivocally, from the start of the pregnancy up to after the birth, future parents are guaranteed the best possible care. Future mothers are given a optimal medical follow-up and get all the necessary information and support in preparation for the birth and during the whole postnatal period and parenthood. The pregnancy care plan is clear for everyone: all care providers coordinate their contribution. Especially for pregnant women in a psychosocial vulnerable position the new care plan has a big added value: from the start of the pregnancy, they are given modified support and coaching, so that their baby will also get the best possible chances at the start of life.
Wouter Beke, Flemish Minister for Welfare, Family, Public health and Povery allevation: “The first 1,000 days are crucial for a good development of our children. It is therefore imperative to support families with all their care questions, from the start of the pregnancy onwards. The importance of integrated care paths is extemely big: it enables us to connect care and welfare.”
Pioneer
For GPs and midwives the new care plan is also an added value: they are now involved in every pregnancy and will work together more intensively and communicate with gynaecologists and paediatricians. As a result, every care provider will be able to rely optimally on the additional expertise of a colleague.
It's the first time that such an actual care plan is set up in Flanders and Belgium. In some areas, there are agreements about the medical tests, but this care plan combines both medical care and unambiguous information and support. The goal is for the Oost-Brabant area to share its knowledge and expertise with other areas that want to commit to the organisation of care before and after birth. The Oost-Brabant area was already a pioneer for the KIK pilot project (Kort in Kraamkliniek), given pregnant women to opportunity to leave the hospital sooner after giving birth. In the meantime, this procedure is embedded in most Flemish areas. The partners of this new care plan are hoping for a financial recognition of the government.
Introduction new care plan on 29-10-2021
The new are plan is presented on 29 October at a symposium, in the presence of minister Wouter Beke and minister Frank Vandenbroucke. This symposium is the kick-off for the implementation of an integrated perinatal care path for low-risk pregnancies in the Leuven-Tienen-Diest area. It was established as a result of intense collaboration between all care partners of the area, including De Bakermat, UZ Leuven, Heilig Hart Leuven, RZ Tienen, AZ Diest, Vlaamse Beroepsorganisatie van vroedvrouwen, Kring Huisartsen Oost-Brabant, Huisartsenkring Zuid-Oost-Hageland, Kind en Gezin, Wijkgezondheidscentrum Vierkappes, Zorgzaam Leuven and Verbonden in ZOHrg.