Insights ACM 2026: Connection, Screening and the Future of Maternity Care

The Australian College of Midwives National Conference 2026 (ACM 2026) brought together midwives, students, researchers, health services and leaders in maternity care to share evidence, explore innovation and consider the future of the profession.

For Diginostic, one of the strongest themes was the value of connection — hearing directly from clinicians and sector leaders about the realities of maternity care, the pressures facing the workforce, and the role that screening, education and digital tools can play in supporting care.

Several themes stood out, including woman-centred care, workforce sustainability, clinician wellbeing, First Nations maternity care, perinatal mental health and the growing role of digital technology.

Together, these discussions reflected the complexity of modern maternity care. Clinical decision-making does not sit in isolation from workforce capacity, communication, continuity of care or the emotional experiences of women and clinicians.

For health services, this reinforces the importance of considering not only what care is delivered, but how systems, processes and tools support the people involved.

Workforce wellbeing was an important part of the conversation.

Midwives work in environments that can involve significant clinical responsibility, emotional pressure and exposure to difficult experiences. Sessions explored issues including trauma, workplace culture, retention and the long-term sustainability of the profession.

We also had the opportunity to reconnect with Kelli Zakharoff, author of Midwife Crisis: From Trust to Trauma. Her work explores midwifery trauma, burnout and the emotional impact of working within maternity care.

Her perspective reinforced a broader message: supporting women and families also means recognising and supporting the people providing that care.

Perinatal mental health and screening were also important areas of discussion.

Screening can help clinicians identify concerns that may require further exploration and support more informed conversations with women and families. Its value, however, depends on how well it connects with clinical judgement, referral pathways and ongoing care.

For digital screening, the opportunity is not simply to reproduce an existing paper process online. Digital tools can help make screening more consistent, reduce administrative steps and support clinicians across different healthcare environments.

Conversations at ACM 2026 also highlighted the importance of education and confidence around screening, particularly as new clinicians enter the workforce and services continue to evolve.

There was also growing interest in how technology is changing maternity care.

Digital health, virtual care and emerging technologies are increasingly influencing how clinicians communicate, assess, document and support patients. What came through strongly was the role of evidence and innovation in shaping how maternity care and midwifery continue to evolve.

The challenge is ensuring these tools remain practical and clinically relevant. Technology should support clinical judgement and relationships, rather than introduce additional complexity.

One of the strengths of ACM 2026 was the diversity of perspectives represented across frontline practice, academia, health services and community-controlled health.

For Diginostic, these conversations created opportunities to listen to different experiences of screening and maternity care and better understand the priorities shaping the sector.

ACM 2026 reinforced that meaningful improvement rarely happens in isolation. It depends on clinicians, researchers, educators, health services and technology partners continuing to share knowledge and learn from one another.

For Diginostic, the conference was an opportunity to listen, connect and continue contributing to conversations about perinatal mental health, screening and the evolving role of digital health in maternity care.