Facility choice module

1.0 Overview 

This module uses the in-facility delivery propensity (an output from the initial attributes model that is correlated with propensity values for ANC attendance and LBWSG exposure) as well as believed preterm status (an output from the AI ultrasound module) to assign a delivery facility exposure in the intrapartum component of the simulation.

2.0 Module Diagram and Data 

There is a significant amount of background research and analysis that has gone into the facility choice model, which is detailed on the facility choice model document. The information on this page highlights the necessary information for implementation only, with module inputs and outputs described in the tables below.

Module required inputs
Input	Source module	Application	Note
In-facility delivery (IFD) propensity	Initial attributes module	Used to determine home birth exposure by comparing to the causal conditional probabilities for in-facility delivery	The ordering of IFD categories (at-home < in-facility) is important when sampling using this propensity. See Special ordering of the categories in the facility choice model document
Believed preterm status	AI ultrasound module	Determines which causal conditional probabilities for in-facility delivery to use, either the “believed preterm” values or the “believed term” values	Believed preterm status is believed preterm if the estimated gestational age is <37 weeks and is believed term if the estimated gestational age is 37+ weeks

Module outputs
Output	Value	Instructions	Note
IFD status	at-home / in-facility	Use IFD propensity and believed preterm status to assign IFD status as described in the “Application” column of the module input table above
Birth facility	home / BEmONC / CEmONC	Assign home if IFD status is at-home. If IFD status is in-facility, assign BEmONC or CEmONC according to the probabilities specified in the choosing BEmONC vs. CEmONC section of the facility choice model document.	Location where the simulant delivers their baby

3.0 Assumptions and limitations 

See the facility choice model document.

Additionally, we do not currently consider facility transfers, and think of the delivery facility as the last location in a delivery where there were transfers between facilities.

4.0 Verification and Validation Criteria 

Delivery facility exposure distribution stratified by believed-preterm status should match expectations.

5.0 References 