Developing Design Principles for Group Antenatal Care (G-ANC)
Rendering showing the interior of a proposed Group Antenatal Care (G-ANC) space at Kangundo Sub-County Hospital in Kenya.
In addition to traditional models of outpatient care—which typically involve one-on-one consultations between mothers and healthcare providers—Group Care has been recognised as a promising alternative that may help to increase the quality and accessibility of care in resource-constrained settings.
Group Antenatal Care (G-ANC) is a comprehensive, woman-centred approach to care that incorporates physical assessment, educational courses, skills development, and peer support, all aimed at improving health outcomes for mothers and babies. In some contexts, mothers also meet in group settings to receive postpartum follow-ups after giving birth.
Group Care programmes have the potential to demystify facility-based care, encourage greater trust between mothers and clinicians, and increase attendance at antenatal and postpartum visits.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and MASS Design Group collaborated closely with Jhpiego to integrate design principles for Group Antenatal Care (G-ANC) into our Delivering More Toolkit.
Design Principles
The updated toolkit now includes an illustration showcasing potential layouts and features for G-ANC spaces. The illustration serves as a diagrammatic representation of design principles, designed to be adapted to specific country standards and facility needs. Accompanying the illustrations, we developed text outlining what Group Antenatal Care entails, basic design features recognised as best practices—though not always fully implemented. The document also includes a ‘Location Notes’ section detailing critical spatial adjacencies to enhance patient and provider care flows, as well as ‘Key Insights’ highlighting essential design features and considerations derived from research and user engagement.
Space diagram indicating a recommended layout for Group Antenatal Care spaces.
Designing a G-ANC Space for Kangundo Sub-County Hospital
Building on the G-ANC design principles, the project team developed fundraising collateral for a G-ANC space at Kangundo Sub-County Hospital. This package includes annotated renders illustrating how a purpose-built group care space could be tailored to the hospital’s specific site conditions.
Rendering showing the exterior of a proposed Group Antenatal Care space at Kangundo Sub-County Hospital in Kenya.