Women’s experiences of their maternity care: A principle- based concept analysis

Psychometric properties of the experiences of maternity care scale among Iranian women

BACKGROUND

Assessing women's perceptions of the care they receive is crucial for evaluating the quality of maternity care. Women's perceptions are influenced by the care received during pregnancy, labour and birth, and the postpartum period, each of which with unique conditions, expectations, and requirements. In England, three Experience of Maternity Care (EMC) scales - Pregnancy, Labour and Birth, and Postnatal - have been developed to assess women's experiences from pregnancy through the postpartum period. This study aimed to validate these scales within the Iranian context.

METHODS

A methodological cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to August 2023 at selected health centers in Tabriz, Iran. A panel of 16 experts assessed the qualitative and quantitative content validity of the scales and 10 women assessed the face validity. A total of 540 eligible women, 1-6 months postpartum, participated in the study, with data from 216 women being used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 324 women for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and other analyses. The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire-2 was employed to assess the convergent validity of the Labour and Birth Scale, whereas women's age was used to assess the divergent validity of the scales. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were also examined.

RESULTS

All items obtained an impact score above 1.5, with Content Validity Ratio and Content Validity Index exceeding 0.8. EFA demonstrated an excellent fit with the data (all Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measures > 0.80, and all Bartlett's p < 0.001). The Pregnancy Scale exhibited a five-factor structure, the Labour and Birth Scale a two-factor structure, and the Postnatal Scale a three-factor structure, explaining 66%, 57%, and 62% of the cumulative variance, respectively, for each scale. CFA indicated an acceptable fit with RMSEA ≤ 0.08, CFI ≥ 0.92, and NNFI ≥ 0.90. A significant correlation was observed between the Labour and Birth scale and the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire-2 (r = 0.82, P < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between the scales and women's age. All three scales demonstrated good internal consistency (all Cronbach's alpha values > 0.9) and test-retest reliability (all interclass correlation coefficient values > 0.8).

CONCLUSIONS

The Persian versions of all three EMC scales exhibit robust psychometric properties for evaluating maternity care experiences among urban Iranian women. These scales can be utilized to assess the quality of current care, investigate the impact of different care models in various studies, and contribute to maternal health promotion programs and policies.

Midwife continuity of care models versus other models of care for childbearing women

BACKGROUND

Midwives are primary providers of care for childbearing women globally and there is a need to establish whether there are differences in effectiveness between midwife continuity of care models and other models of care. This is an update of a review published in 2016.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effects of midwife continuity of care models with other models of care for childbearing women and their infants.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Trials Register, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (17 August 2022), as well as the reference lists of retrieved studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All published and unpublished trials in which pregnant women are randomly allocated to midwife continuity of care models or other models of care during pregnancy and birth.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently assessed studies for inclusion criteria, scientific integrity, and risk of bias, and carried out data extraction and entry. Primary outcomes were spontaneous vaginal birth, caesarean section, regional anaesthesia, intact perineum, fetal loss after 24 weeks gestation, preterm birth, and neonatal death. We used GRADE to rate the certainty of evidence.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 17 studies involving 18,533 randomised women. We assessed all studies as being at low risk of scientific integrity/trustworthiness concerns. Studies were conducted in Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The majority of the included studies did not include women at high risk of complications. There are three ongoing studies targeting disadvantaged women. Primary outcomes Based on control group risks observed in the studies, midwife continuity of care models, as compared to other models of care, likely increase spontaneous vaginal birth from 66% to 70% (risk ratio (RR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 1.07; 15 studies, 17,864 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), likelyreduce caesarean sections from 16% to 15% (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.99; 16 studies, 18,037 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and likely result in little to no difference in intact perineum (29% in other care models and 31% in midwife continuity of care models, average RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.12; 12 studies, 14,268 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). There may belittle or no difference in preterm birth (< 37 weeks) (6% under both care models, average RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.16; 10 studies, 13,850 participants; low-certainty evidence). We arevery uncertain about the effect of midwife continuity of care models on regional analgesia (average RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.92; 15 studies, 17,754 participants, very low-certainty evidence), fetal loss at or after 24 weeks gestation (average RR 1.24, 95% CI 0.73 to 2.13; 12 studies, 16,122 participants; very low-certainty evidence), and neonatal death (average RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.71; 10 studies, 14,718 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Secondary outcomes When compared to other models of care, midwife continuity of care models likely reduce instrumental vaginal birth (forceps/vacuum) from 14% to 13% (average RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.96; 14 studies, 17,769 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and may reduceepisiotomy 23% to 19% (average RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.91; 15 studies, 17,839 participants; low-certainty evidence). When compared to other models of care, midwife continuity of care models likelyresult in little to no difference inpostpartum haemorrhage (average RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.03; 11 studies, 14,407 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and admission to special care nursery/neonatal intensive care unit (average RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.03; 13 studies, 16,260 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). There may be little or no difference in induction of labour (average RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.00; 14 studies, 17,666 participants; low-certainty evidence), breastfeeding initiation (average RR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.12; 8 studies, 8575 participants; low-certainty evidence), and birth weight less than 2500 g (average RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.08; 9 studies, 12,420 participants; low-certainty evidence). We are very uncertain about the effect of midwife continuity of care models compared to other models of care onthird or fourth-degree tear (average RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.49; 7 studies, 9437 participants; very low-certainty evidence), maternal readmission within 28 days (average RR 1.52, 95% CI 0.78 to 2.96; 1 study, 1195 participants; very low-certainty evidence), attendance at birth by a known midwife (average RR 9.13, 95% CI 5.87 to 14.21; 11 studies, 9273 participants; very low-certainty evidence), Apgar score less than or equal to seven at five minutes (average RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.24; 13 studies, 12,806 participants; very low-certainty evidence) andfetal loss before 24 weeks gestation (average RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.01; 12 studies, 15,913 participants; very low-certainty evidence). No maternal deaths were reported across three studies. Although the observed risk of adverse events was similar between midwifery continuity of care models and other models, our confidence in the findings was limited. Our confidence in the findings was lowered by possible risks of bias, inconsistency, and imprecision of some estimates. There were no available data for the outcomes: maternal health status, neonatal readmission within 28 days, infant health status, and birth weight of 4000 g or more. Maternal experiences and cost implications are described narratively. Women receiving care from midwife continuity of care models, as opposed to other care models, generally reported more positive experiences during pregnancy, labour, and postpartum. Cost savings were noted in the antenatal and intrapartum periods in midwife continuity of care models.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Women receiving midwife continuity of care models were less likely to experience a caesarean section and instrumental birth, and may be less likely to experience episiotomy. They were more likely to experience spontaneous vaginal birth and report a positive experience. The certainty of some findings varies due to possible risks of bias, inconsistencies, and imprecision of some estimates. Future research should focus on the impact on women with social risk factors, and those at higher risk of complications, and implementation and scaling up of midwife continuity of care models, with emphasis on low- and middle-income countries.

Kaleidoscope of emotions in hospital childbirth: A phenomenological study

The childbirth process represents a moment of transition in the life of each woman, and is a source of complex and dynamic emotions. The aim of this study was to describe the emotions women experience during hospital childbirth and to determine the conditioning factors. A qualitative prospective study with a phenomenological approach was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 42 women. The negative emotions the women highlighted were fear, anguish, suffering, concern and nervousness, and they were related to factors such as: the evolution of childbirth, the appearance of complications, pain, the doubt about the ability to give birth and poor communication. The positive emotions highlighted were joy, satisfaction, security, confidence and tranquillity, and they were related to the first skin-to-skin contact, effective communication, partner support and participation in decisions. The findings may contribute to the development of policies aimed at achieving the women and newborns' maximum health and life potential.

Development, woman-centricity and psychometric properties of maternity patient-reported experience measures: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Valid and reliable maternity patient-reported experience measures are critical to understanding women's experiences of care. They can support clinical practice, health service and system performance measurement, and research. The aim of this review is to identify and critically appraise the risk of bias, woman-centricity (content validity), and psychometric properties of maternity patient-reported experience measures published in the scientific literature.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, and Embase were systematically searched for relevant records between January 1, 2010 and July 10, 2021.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We searched for articles describing the instrument development of maternity patient-reported experience measures and measurement properties associated with instrument validity and reliability testing. Articles that described patient-reported experience measures developed outside of the maternity context and articles that did not contribute to the instruments' development, content validation, and/or psychometric evaluation were excluded.

METHODS

Included articles underwent risk of bias, content validity, and psychometric properties assessments in line with the COSMIN (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments) guidance. Patient-reported experience measure results were summarized according to language subgroups. An overall recommendation for use was determined for each patient-reported experience measure language subgroup.

RESULTS

A total of 54 studies reported on the development and psychometric evaluation of 25 maternity patient-reported experience measures, grouped into 45 language subgroups. The quality of evidence underpinning the instruments' development was generally poor. Only 2 (4.4%) patient-reported experience measures reported sufficient content validity, and only 1 (2.2%) received a level "A" recommendation, required for real-world use.

CONCLUSION

Maternity patient-reported experience measures demonstrated poor-quality evidence for their measurement properties and insufficient detail about content validity. Future maternity patient-reported experience measure development needs to prioritize women's involvement in deciding what is relevant, comprehensive, and comprehensible to measure. Improving the content validity of maternity patient-reported experience measures will improve overall validity and reliability and facilitate real-world practice improvements. Standardized patient-reported experience measure implementation also needs to be prioritized to support advancements in clinical practice for women.

Pregnant Women’s Perceptions of the Quality of Antenatal Care in a Public Hospital in Punjab, Pakistan during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Despite government efforts, many rural Pakistani women forgo regular antenatal visits, are unprepared for birth, and deliver at home or in private facilities, because they are dissatisfied with public health services. This study examined pregnant women’s perceptions of public health hospital prenatal care to suggest areas for improvement. Using simple random sampling, 200 pregnant women visiting a secondary care public health facility in Sargodha District, Pakistan, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. The quality of prenatal care was assessed using a structured and validated questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and multivariate linear regression stepwise models were used. Of participants, 52% consider the services to be of poor quality. Education, income, number of living children, and long waiting time influenced the perceived prenatal care quality in the study population. Stakeholders rated existing services as suboptimal, especially in terms of staff availability and time spent, which reduces service use. Facility managers and policymakers should work to improve the quality of services to satisfy patients, encourage them to use antenatal care, and improve the health of both mother and child, especially in rural areas.

The experience of pregnant women in contexts of vulnerability of prenatal primary nursing care: a descriptive interpretative qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Prenatal primary nursing care contributes to improving the health outcomes of mothers and unborn babies. Some pregnant women in contexts of vulnerability experience prenatal nursing care in a positive way, while some do not. A better understanding of factors influencing this experience could help improve prenatal nursing care. The aim of this study was to describe factors influencing the prenatal primary nursing care experience of pregnant women in contexts of vulnerability.

METHODS

Thorne's qualitative interpretative descriptive approach was used. Twenty-four pregnant women in contexts of vulnerability were recruited in local community service centers in Quebec, Canada, using purposive and snowball samplings, to carry out a semi-structured interview. Participants were 16 years old and over, in their second or third trimester, or had given birth in the previous year, and received prenatal nursing care through community health services. Data collection methods included a logbook, sociodemographic questionnaire and semi-structured interview on vulnerable pregnant women's experience with prenatal primary nursing care. The Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven guided the inductive thematic analysis, following a constant comparative iterative process.

RESULTS

The women's experience was initially influenced by the fulfillment of their needs and expectations. These stem from their previous or current pregnancy experiences, their motivation to receive prenatal care, their family concerns as well as their contexts of vulnerability. From the pregnant women's perspective, the main factors that influenced their experience were the nurse's approach, characteristics and interventions that all impact on their relationship with nurses, as well as the prenatal primary care organization, including the modalities of prenatal care (i.e. schedule, setting, duration, number and frequency of meetings), the continuity and the program's prenatal care services, such as referral to a nutritionist, social worker or other services.

CONCLUSIONS

A conceptual framework is proposed to describe relationships among the factors distributed in three dimensions that influence the experience of pregnant women in contexts of vulnerability and to guide nurses in the improvement of prenatal primary care. Considering the complexity of this experience, a person-centered approach is mandatory to promote a positive experience, equity and a better use of services.

The voice of memory in hospital birth: A phenomenological study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the perception of the hospital birth experience in women at 8 weeks and 8 months after the birth and to determine if there have been any changes in that perception.

DESIGN

This was a prospective qualitative study with a phenomenological approach based on semi-structured, individual and in-depth interviews at 8 weeks and 8 months after childbirth as well as participant's observations. The data were transcribed and analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti 8 software.

PARTICIPANTS

43 women participated in the first interview, and 33 of those participated in the second interview.

SETTING

Donostia University Hospital, Gipuzkoa, Spain, 2016-2017.

FINDINGS

Two main topics emerged from the data analysis which summarize the women's perception of childbirth: (1) memory allows us to recall the experience of hospital birth in time and space; (2) some moments are specially remembered. In the second topic, three subtopics were distinguished: fondest memory: meeting the newborn for the first time; highlighted positive memories: support from partners and professionals; and the worst memories were marked by feelings of worry and fear.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

In the perception of the birth experience, positive and negative memories remain in intensity and continuity for at least up to 8 months. Their creation and evocation are highly influenced by the emotional experience and the initial visual impact of meeting the newborn for the first time, which constitutes a milestone in women's lives. The emotions experienced in childbirth and during the postpartum period shape the awareness, memory and new identity of being a mother.

Association Between Availability of Women's Health Services and Women Veterans' Care Experiences

INTRODUCTION

Few studies have focused on determinants of women's ratings of care experiences in primary care. We assessed associations between availability of women's health services and women veterans' ratings of care experiences.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional analysis, we linked Fiscal Year 2017 (October 1, 2016, to September 30, 2017) survey data from 126 Veterans Health Administration (VA) primary care leaders to 4,254 women veterans' ratings of care from VA's Survey of Health care Experiences of Patients-Patient Centered Medical Home (2017). The dependent variables were ratings of optimal access (appointments, information), care coordination, comprehensiveness (behavioral health assessment), patient-provider communication, and primary care provider. Key independent variables were number of women's health services 1) routinely available all weekday hours (compared with some hours or not available) and 2) available in VA general primary care vs. other arrangements. In multilevel logistic regression models, we adjusted for patient-, facility-, and area-level characteristics.

RESULTS

A greater number of women's health services routinely available in VA primary care was associated with a higher likelihood of optimal ratings of care coordination (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.10), provider communication (AOR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.002-1.16), and primary care provider (AOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13). A greater number of services available in VA primary care was associated with a lower likelihood of optimal ratings for access (AOR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99).

CONCLUSION

For the most part, routine availability of women's health services in VA primary care clinics enhanced women's health care experiences. These empirical findings offer health care leaders evidence-based approaches for improving women's care experiences.

Moving through adulthood: The lived experience of Irish adults with PKU

Background

This paper represents a portion of the findings from one of the first research studies eliciting the lived experience of adults with an early diagnosis of Phenylketonuria (PKU) living in Ireland. Ireland has one of the highest prevalence rates of PKU in Europe, however, little is known about the experience of Irish adults with PKU. Furthermore, Ireland is one of the first countries in the world to introduce neonatal screening followed by the introduction of long-term dietary therapy over 50 years ago. This study presents the first comprehensive assessment of the lived experience of Irish adults with PKU on long term dietary therapy.

Methods

Narrative data was collected from eleven self-selected participants, using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were divided into five sections focused on eliciting a holistic understanding of the lived experience of adults with PKU living in Ireland. Thematic analysis was guided by Colaizzi's Framework (1978) in conjunction with NVivo qualitative data analysis software.

Findings

Findings from the original research encompassed a broad understanding of the lived experience of adults with PKU living in Ireland, including factors influencing dietary therapy and managing PHE blood levels. The themes being discussed within this article are those which appear to be least represented within current literature: living with PKU, including reproductive health, the importance of self-management and establishing routine, support networks in adulthood and concerns regarding aging with PKU.

Conclusion

It was evident from the findings that a diagnosis of PKU can influence how adults with PKU may experience aging and their own mortality. These findings offer new insight into the vulnerability attached to the experience of aging with PKU and may be beneficial to advocacy groups and for future development of policy and practice.

Evaluating the development, woman-centricity and psychometric properties of maternity patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs): A systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Woman-centred care is the right of every woman receiving maternity care, irrespective of where care is being received and who is providing care. This protocol describes a planned systematic review that will identify, describe and critically appraise the psychometric properties of maternity patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs). The woman-centricity of PROM and PREM development and content validation (ie, the extent to which women were involved in these processes) will also be assessed. This information will be used to develop a maternity PROMs and PREMs database to support service and system performance measurement, and value-based maternity care initiatives.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study will be guided by the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guideline for systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments. Studies identified via MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO and EMBASE describing the development, content validation and/or psychometric evaluation of PROMs and PREMs specifically designed for maternity populations throughout pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal periods will be considered if published from 2010 onward, in English, and available in full text. The COSMIN risk of bias checklist will be used to evaluate the quality of studies reporting on the development, content validation and/or psychometric evaluation of PROMs and PREMs. COSMIN criteria for good content validity will be used to assess the woman-centricity of PROM and PREM development and content validation studies. COSMIN standards of good psychometric properties will be used to evaluate the validity and reliability of the identified instruments.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical permission for this research is not required. The findings of this research will be submitted for publication in an international, peer-reviewed journal. Abstracts for national and international conference presentations will also be submitted. The proposed maternity PROMs and PREMs database will be freely accessible online, and developed with consumer input to ensure its usefulness to a range of maternity care stakeholders.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021288854.

Hospital Childbirth: Perspectives of Women and Professionals for a Positive Experience-A Qualitative Study

The perception and interpretation of childbirth are changing as values change. This requires women and professionals to adapt to new circumstances. The objective of this study was to analyze the perspectives of women and professionals on hospital birth and to identify improvement areas in order to achieve a positive perinatal experience. A qualitative prospective study with a phenomenological approach was conducted using semi-structured interviews with women, two and eight months after childbirth, participant observation, and professional focus groups. The analysis of the transcribed texts involved a thematic inductive approach. Four improvement areas emerged from the analysis: (a) strengthening communication and the therapeutic relationship; (b) unifying criteria between hospitals and primary care centers to provide coordinated and coherent information; (c) involvement of the partner in the whole process of pregnancy-childbirth-puerperium; (d) improvement of the spaces used in prenatal care and births. The need for a continuity of care from the beginning of pregnancy to the postpartum period is emphasized, which requires an improvement in information, participation, and the promotion of shared decision-making. To this end, coordinated interdisciplinary work, involvement of the partner and the improvement of the spaces used in prenatal care and births are essential.

Educational needs on safe motherhood from the perspective of suburban women: A qualitative study

Background

Maternal mortality resulting from pregnancy and delivery complications is a sensitive indicator of women's status in the society, access to care services, and sufficiency and quality of healthcare and is the major indicator of a country's developmental status. The present study aimed at determination of educational needs regarding safe motherhood from suburban women's perspective.

Method

This qualitative study with conventional content analysis approach was conducted in suburban healthcare centers of Alborz University of medical sciences from 23 October to 22 December 2019. The participants included 15 eligible Iranian suburban women who were selected through purposive sampling. The data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Data were analyzes with MAXQDA10 software.

Results

Three main themes emerged from the analysis of the data (barriers against safe pregnancy, accountability multidimensional training, and threats and opportunities of distance learning), six categories, 11 subcategories and 547 codes.

Discussion

The results indicated that suburban women were less probable to be present in healthcare centers and receive the required information compared to their peers due to their conditions; provision of accessible training services appropriated to their conditions can greatly contribute to elimination of these problems.

Meta-Synthesis of the Needs of Women Cared for by Midwives During Childbirth in Hospitals

OBJECTIVE

To identify and meta-synthesize results of qualitative studies on the needs of women cared for by midwives during childbirth in hospitals.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, and the Cochrane Library.

STUDY SELECTION

We restricted the bibliographic search to articles published in English to July 31, 2020. The initial search yielded 6,407 articles, and after 2,504 duplicates were removed, we screened the titles and abstracts of 3,903 articles. We conducted a full-text review of 89 articles and included 13 qualitative studies about the needs of women who were hospitalized during childbirth and had midwives as their primary maternity care providers.

DATA EXTRACTION

We extracted data (e.g., authors, publication date, type of study, sample size, results, and quotes) from the full text of each article into a standardized table. Two authors reviewed all articles using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool to assess study quality and to independently score each study.

DATA SYNTHESIS

We analyzed the findings of each study and synthesized them to develop themes. We found 14 major themes that reflected the needs of women during hospitalization for childbirth: Nutrition, Hygiene, Privacy, Information, Bodily Respect, Respect for Social Role, Family Intimacy, Shelter, Pain Management, Partnership, Movement, Reassurance, Support, and Empowerment. We categorized these themes in Maslow's hierarchy of needs to better understand the phenomenon.

CONCLUSION

We identified 14 needs that midwives and nurses can meet when they care for women in hospitals during childbirth. Standardized methods to assess these needs and to link them to specific interventions can be used by midwives and nurses, which will likely affect women's satisfaction with their experience and overall quality of care.