Tomintz, Melanie N. and Clarke, Graham P. and Rigby, Jan and Green, Josephine M. (2013) Optimising the location of antenatal classes. Midwifery, 29. pp. 33-43. ISSN 0266-6138

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Abstract

Objectives: To combine micro simulation and location-allocation techniques to determine antenatal class locations which minimise the distance travelled from home by potential users. Design: Micro simulation modelling and location-allocation modeling. Setting: City of Leeds, U.K. Participants: Potential users of antenatal classes. Methods: An individual-level micro simulation model was built to estimate the number of births for small areas by combining data from the UK Census 2001 and the Health Survey for England 2006. Using this model as a proxy for service demand, we then used a location-allocation model to optimize locations. Findings: Different scenarios show the advantage of combining these methods to optimize (re)locating antenatal classes and therefore reduce inequalities in accessing services for pregnant women. Key Conclusions: Use of these techniques should lead to better use of resources by allowing planners to identifyoptimal locations of antenatal classes which minimise women’s travel. Implications for practice: These results are especially important for health-care planners tasked with the difficult issue of targeting scarce resources in a cost-efficient, but also effective or accessible, manner.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	The definitive version of this article is available at doi:10.1016/j.midw.2011.10.010
Keywords:	Antenatal classes; Locating maternity services; Health;geography;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography
Item ID:	4278
Depositing User:	Jan Rigby
Date Deposited:	26 Mar 2013 16:49
Journal or Publication Title:	Midwifery
Publisher:	Elsevier
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://www.journals.elsevier.com/midwife...
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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