Objective To examine the extent of maternal health information system-based evaluation on effect of maternal health interventions in Beijing and Shanghai and to explore the feasibility to assess the extent quantitatively.
Methods We systematically collected research literatures and public information related to maternal health information system-based evaluation on the effect of maternal health interventions published by government agencies and medical institutions via maternal health information system of Beijing and Shanghai between 2004 and 2017. A comprehensive quantitative method was adopted to assess and compare the extent of the evaluation in Beijing and Shanghai. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the association of the extent of the evaluation with maternal mortality in the two cities.
Results During the 14-year period in Beijing municipal maternal health information system, totally 22 studies or pieces of information on the intervention effect evaluation were issued, averagely less than 2 per year; the annual indicator for intervention effect evaluation (proportion of related studies or information issued in a year) fluctuated in the duration (2.36%, 1.18%, 2.56%, and 2.11% in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2017, respectively). In Shanghai municipal maternal health information system, only 6 pieces of information on the intervention effect evaluation were published, including 4 yearly background data, during the period from 2010 to 2017, with the annual indicators fluctuating between 0.40% and 1.29%. No correlation between the extent of intervention effect evaluation and maternal mortality was observed both in Shanghai and Beijing (rBeijing = – 0.112, P = 0.703; rShanghai = – 0.460, P = 0.098）.
Conclusion The extent of maternal health information system-based evaluation on effect of maternal health interventions is at a low level both in Beijing and Shanghai municipality. The study highlights the feasibility for assessing the extent quantitatively.
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