Together, we share the responsibility of continuing to provide maternity care that is of invaluable worth.
Maternity care in the Netherlands is of high quality, safe, and accessible. Pregnancy and childbirth are regarded as physiological processes, with integrated collaboration between primary and secondary care ensuring freedom of choice for pregnant women and their partners in deciding the place of birth. Nevertheless, not every woman benefits equally from this care. Women in vulnerable situations are at greater risk of complications, mortality, and a negative birth experience. This is what Professor of Value-based Maternity Care Corine Verhoeven stated in her inaugural lecture.
At the same time, Dutch maternity care is under pressure due to rising demand, increasing complexity, staff shortages, and escalating healthcare costs. Value-based maternity care can help ensure care that is personal, affordable, and accessible. It focuses on what is valuable to the client (personal value), efficiently organized care (technical value), and fair distribution of care (allocative value). This requires a strong connection between clients and care providers. Together, we work toward care that truly makes a difference, says Verhoeven.