Optimal Birth Objectives

Optimal Birth BC has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute to develop, support and test interventions in maternity care in order to promote optimal use of cesarean section.

The specific objectives of Optimal Birth BC are to:

• Identify determinants of variation in cesarean birth rates within and among health authorities;
• Analyse population data to compare practice patterns and outcomes among health authorities to identify priority areas for practice change;
• Inform practice change in health authorities by developing syntheses of best evidence in topical clinical areas;
• Assist in the development of tools to promote practice change, such as clinical pathways and decision aids;
• Evaluate change within health authorities and promote a philosophy of continuous quality improvement;
• Develop and evaluate a consumer-targeted education strategy aimed at improving knowledge of risks and benefits associated with cesarean birth;
• Support sustainable infrastructure for ongoing surveillance, evaluation, research quality improvement activities and public education to ensure optimal rates of cesarean delivery within BC health authorities.