Improving pregnancy outcomes with the Maternity Learning Health System
Aiming to improve outcomes for mothers and babies
Starting in July 2025, we have been funded by the MRFF to create a national Maternity Learning Health System and National Clinical Quality Registry that brings together women as consumers of care, clinicians and academics to remove silos and enable change. We are using the Learning Health System framework, innovative IT platforms, big data, and novel analyses.
Nationally there are 300,000 pregnancies yearly. Efforts to reduce risks in pregnancy have yielded great benefits, however, we have now tipped the balance between managing risk and causing harm, with only 30% of pregnancies having a spontaneous birth. Intervention rates, harms and costs are rising dramatically year on year with significant inequality in the care of mothers. Action is vital to improve pregnancy outcomes.
The Monash University team is now leading a national initiative to accelerate the development of a Maternity Learning Health System, supported by the National Maternity Clinical Quality Registry. This system aims to enable continuous data-driven improvement, optimise care delivery, and support informed choice for women and families.
The researchers are working with the community, obstetricians, midwives and other stakeholders, in a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen maternity care in Australia, including:
- Expanding access to continuity of care models across midwifery and obstetric settings
- Investing in robust national data systems to inform clinical care and policy
Supporting women through targeted public health strategies that address key risk factors during pregnancy.
Implementation & Impact
With our partners reaching across 86% of Australian maternity care nationally, will deliver a national Maternity Learning Health System, leveraging world-leading innovation in health data innovation, implementation research and translation, delivering priorities of women, evidence, and healthcare improvement. This is in alignment with the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020 – 2030, conducted with the support of women’s consumer groups, and with a national partnership with Women’s Healthcare Australasia.
Research Streams
1. Learning Health System
Platform 1: Evidence from stakeholders/women: priorities and patient measures. (Helena Teede, Emily Callander)
Platform 2: Evidence from research (Helena Teede)
Platform 3: Evidence from practise via an end to end healthcare data system (Helena Teede, Emily Callander, Ben Mol, Daniel Rolnik)
Platform 4: Implementations science and health economics for value-based care (Helena Teede, Emily Callander, Daniel Rolnik
2. Risk identification, prevention and treatment in women with obesity
Research stream 2
3. Metabolic complication prevention - healthy lifestyle intervention
Research stream 3
4. Translation into policy and practice
Research Stream 4