Statistics on outpatient midwifery services in Switzerland (SHV-Statistik)

In the statistics of the Swiss Federation of midwives, data on the outpatient services provided by midwives practising under their own professional responsibility in Switzerland are collected via electronic documentation and billing systems, and they are descriptively analysed and published annually.

Key Data

Description

The Swiss Federation of Midwives (SHV/FSSF) has been recording the activities and services of midwives in their own professional responsibility throughout Switzerland since 2005. The goal of this survey is quality assurance. The data is evaluated annually using descriptive statistics and published in an extensive report and a flyer. In 2009, this task was given to the Research Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health at ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. During the first few years of the project, midwives entered data in specially designed Excel sheets, following which it was merged nationally. From 2012 to 2017, data collection was undertaken via a purpose-built online platform. The maintenance of this online platform was within the parameters of this project. The electronic invoicing of the services of midwives in their own professional responsibility has been mandatory since 2018. In order to make better use of the midwives’ resources, the data collection for the statistics on outpatient midwifery services in Switzerland was restructured. All information required for billing and for statistics purposes is collected within the electronic invoicing and documentation systems. The software providers then transfer the data to ZHAW in an encrypted form via a secured service. Since 2019, the data is analysed and published in the new format.