The “Better Outcomes in Labor Difficulty” (BOLD) project used a service design process to design a set of tools to improve quality of care during childbirth by
strengthening linkages between communities and health facilities in Nigeria and Uganda. This paper describes the Passport to Safer Birth concept and the tools
developed as a result.
Service design methods were used to identify facilitators and barriers to quality care, and to develop human-centered solutions. The service design process
had three phases: Research for Design, Concept Design, and Detail Design, undertaken in eight hospitals and catchment communities.
The service concept “BetterBeginnings” comprises three tools. The “Pregnancy Purse” provides educational information to women throughout pregnancy. The “Birth
Board” is a visual communication tool that presents the labor and childbirth process. The “Family Pass” is a set of wearable passes for the woman and her supporter to
facilitate communication of care preferences.
The Better Beginnings service concept and tools form the basis for the promotion of access to information and knowledge acquisition, and could improve
communication between the healthcare provider, the woman, and her family during childbirth.