Challenges and Opportunities in perinatal public health: The utility of perinatal health inequality dashboards in addressing disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes

Abstract

Introduction: In clinical settings, digital dashboards display medical data, with the aim of identifying trends and signals. In so doing these contribute towards improving service delivery and care within hospitals. It is not clear whether the utility of perinatal health equity dashboards could be used to identify health inequality trends that could potentially impact on health service delivery, care and public health interventions. This scoping review examines the usefulness of health inequality dashboards in improving maternal and neonatal care, specifically for disadvantages populations. Methods: We searched the Embase, CINAHL, and Medline databases for articles published between 2010 and 2022, using keywords such as health inequality dashboard, maternal care disparities, neonatal care disparities, maternal mortality. We included grey literature searches. Our searches identified 661 articles, of which 13 met the inclusion criteria. Results: Our study findings highlight the necessity of utilizing perinatal health inequality dashboards in maternal and neonatal care to enhance health equity and inform policymaking. We identified three key themes: functions of the dashboard and types of data, data accuracy, and challenges in collecting data on health inequalities. We also suggest strategies, including the use of publicly available databases. Conclusion: The integration of perinatal health inequality dashboards stands as a critical step forward in optimizing maternal and neonatal care. These tools not only serve to foster health equity but also act as a vital resource for informing nuanced policy decisions. Through adopting innovative strategies, including capitalizing on publicly available databases, we can further streamline efforts to address existing disparities and pave the way for enhanced healthcare outcomes in this sector.