12. Referral in Pregnancy and Childbirth: Concepts and Strategies: The Crucial Issues: <i>(introduction...)</i>

12. Referral in Pregnancy and Childbirth: Concepts and Strategies

The Crucial Issues

		*(introduction...)*
		Should Interventions Focus Exclusively on Referral of Emergencies?
		Should Interventions Focus Only on Complications of Pregnancy and Childbirth?
		Self Referral and Informed Decision Making

(introduction...)

Given the diversity of health systems, geographical conditions and infrastructure it is impossible to develop a generally applicable blue print for referral systems. However, we can identify the following crucial issues that need to be addressed early on and that require strategic decisions: