Bibliographic Info
Recommendation
Recommended
Certainty of evidence
Low
The use of home-based records is recommended for the care of pregnant women, mothers, newborns and children, to complement facility-based records, to improve care-seeking behaviours, male involvement and support in the household, maternal and child home care practices, infant and child feeding, and communication between health providers and women/caregivers. There was insufficient evidence available to determine if any specific type, format or design of home-based records is more effective. Policy-makers should involve stakeholders to discuss the important considerations with respect to type, content and implementation of home-based records
Notes and Remarks
- 1.In remote and fragile settings, where health systems are weak or where health information systems are absent or poor, and in locations where caregivers may use multiple health facilities, home-based records may be of greater value than in more developed settings and health systems.
- 2.Concerns about the privacy of online or electronic records were reported in studies. The GDG highlighted the potential sensitivity of information in home-based records on HIV testing, status or treatment. Careful consideration should be given as to what personal information is necessary to include in home-based records, to avoid stigma and discrimination.
- 3.Countries currently using home-based records should consider appropriate use, design and content, as well as sustainable financing to maximize their use and impact.
- 4.Additional research is needed on the benefits of using home-based records for recording information on single aspects of care, versus home-based records that include wider MNCH aspects for health education purposes. Evidence was not available at this time to inform this priority question for countries
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
WHO recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience.