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The European Journal of Public Health 2003 13(Supplement 1):29-37; doi:10.1093/eurpub/13.suppl_1.29
© 2003 by European Journal of Public Health
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PERISTAT

Indicators for monitoring and evaluating perinatal health in Europe

Jennifer Zeitlin1,*, Katherine Wildman1, Gérard Bréart1, Sophie Alexander2, Henrique Barros3, Béatrice Blondel1, Simone Buitendijk4, Mika Gissler5, Alison Macfarlane6 and The PERISTAT Scientific Advisory Committee7

1 Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal and Women's Health, U149 INSERM, Paris, France 2 Reproductive Health Unit, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium 3 Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal 4 Division of Child Health, TNO Institute Prevention and Health, Leiden, The Netherlands 5 National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, STAKES, Helsinki, Finland 6 Bartholomew School of Nursing and Midwifery, City University, London, UK 7 Members listed in Appendix

Background: The PERISTAT project aimed to develop an indicator set for monitoring and describing perinatal health in Europe. The challenge was to define indicators that cover common concerns and have the same meaning within the different European health care systems. Methods: PERISTAT included i) a review of existing recommendations on perinatal health indicators, ii) a DELPHI consensus process with a scientific advisory committee composed of a clinician and an epidemiologist or statistician from each European member state as well as with a panel of midwives, and iii) a study of the availability of national statistics to construct recommended indicators. This article describes the first two components. Results: The review identified 10 international and 13 national recommended indicator sets. It also included indicators routinely compiled by WHO, EUROSTAT and OECD. Because of the methodological limits to using existing indicators for European comparisons, a high priority was placed on improving indicators already collected. Using the DELPHI method based on the results of the review, the scientific committee achieved a consensus on ten core and 23 recommended indicators, including 12 requiring further development. Conclusions: The PERISTAT project was successful in identifying a set of indicators, which drew on and consolidated previous work. Consensus was not achieved on precise indicators in areas where uncertainty about appropriate indicators was high, although areas were targeted for future development. Finally, the feasibility study, which is in progress, is an essential part of the project, since it will enable member states to evaluate their capacity to produce these indicators.

Keywords: fetal and neonatal health outcomes, indicators, maternal health, maternity care

* Correspondence: Jennifer Zeitlin, U149 INSERM, 123 boulevard Port-Royal, Paris 75014, France, e-mail: Zeitlin{at}cochin.inserm.fr


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