Development of a home visit program directed at the Norwegian Child Health Care Service- a focus on maternal and child health, early intervention and innovation

The overall goal of this project has been to strengthen families with children and improve the health of mother and child to ensure that full potential is realized. Furthermore, the project has had three sub-goals, the first was to conduct a feasibility study, in which acceptance for and benefit of individual follow-up of a health nurse through and after pregnancy is optimized. The second was to develop a pilot program for individual follow-up of mother and child in the health station in accordance with signals from the Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Norwegian Directorate of Health. This was also based on intention in new legislation, information from the research literature, key informant interviews and focus groups with nurses and users of the health station service. The third and final sub-goal was to develop instruments and protocols for evaluation and monitoring of the program, and to carry out the follow-up evaluation.

The project's hypothesis was as follows: By developing and establishing a preventive and health-promoting program at the health center focused on strengthening the mother's coping ability and security in the mother role, the need for secondary and tertiary measures in primary health and care services can be reduced and mother and child health improved.