The improvement of prenatal, postnatal, newborn and preschool child's health care services in Istanbul: GEBLİZ.

AIM: Keeping health records regularly is important for determining the health status of the population and planning health services. It is observed that the existing health record systems in Istanbul are insufficient in determining the number of pregnant women, puerperants, newborns and preschool children. METHODS: Therefore, an intervention study was planned by Istanbul Directorate of Health in order to provide systematic monitoring of pregnant women, puerperants, newborns and preschool children, and ensure that equity in the distribution of qualified prenatal and postnatal health care is maintained. This project called GEBLIZ has been started to be used since September 2008. RESULTS: According to this project all public and private health centers in which pregnant and child care are given have the responsibility to transfer necessary information about the patients to an electronic database. Through this computerized system, a connection between primary, secondary and tertiary health care settings has been maintained, and deficiencies of paper records have been completed. Health records have become more consistent. CONLUSION: Compared to one year before the start of the intervention, there have been important increases in the number of pregnant women, puerperants, newborns and infants detected by primary health care units. Besides, “home visits” which have been neglected were started actively by primary health care personnel, and preventive health service who stayed in the shadow of therapeutic health services came to life again.