Exploring the value and acceptability of an antenatal and postnatal midwifery continuity of care model to women and midwives, using the Quality Maternal Newborn Care Framework

"A safe space"; A statewide evaluation of Midwifery Antenatal and Postnatal Service (MAPS) using the quality maternal newborn care, evidence informed framework

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization recommends Midwifery Continuity of Care (MCoC) due to the consistent improvements in outcomes for mothers and babies. Surveys from the United Kingdom and Australia reported large numbers of midwives are unable to commit to the on call component required to provide MCoC across the continuum. To address this challenge a modified MCoC model called Midwifery Antenatal and Postnatal Services (MAPS) has been introduced. The aim of this study was to evaluate MAPS services in six sites across one State in Australia.

METHODS

A multi-site qualitative descriptive study was undertaken framed by the Quality Maternal Newborn Care (QMNC) Framework. The QMNC framework was used to develop focus group questions for data collection, and as a lens for analysing data. Data were collected via focus groups from midwives and women at six sites ranging from metropolitan to regional and rural settings and thematically analysed.

FINDINGS

Participants (n=80) included women (n=28), midwives (n=44) and MAPS managers (n=8). This paper reports the findings from the women and midwives, presented under three themes: Getting onto the program, Knowing the story and Building confidence by sharing information. Each theme had subthemes and the findings were aligned either positively or negatively with the QMNC framework.

CONCLUSION

This study found the MAPS model aligns in positive ways with the QMNC quality care framework with some recommendations to improve quality care. Midwives want to provide continuity of care and MAPS is a useful model for providing continuity through the antenatal and postnatal periods.

What do women in Australia want from their maternity care: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Just over 300,000 women give birth in Australia each year. It is important for health care providers, managers, and policy makers know what women want from their care so services can be provided appropriately. This review is a part of the Midwifery Futures Project, which aims to prepare the midwifery workforce to best address the needs of women. The aim of this review was to describe and analyse current literature on the maternity care needs of women in Australia.

METHODS

A scoping review methodology was used, guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute framework. A systematic search of the literature identified 9023 studies, and 59 met inclusion criteria: being peer-reviewed research focusing on maternity care needs, conducted in Australian populations, from 2012 to 2023. The studies were analysed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes were developed: Continuity of care, being seen and heard, being safe, and being enabled. Continuity of care, especially a desire for midwifery continuity of care, was the central theme, as it was a tool supporting women to be seen and heard, safe, and enabled.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights that women in Australia consistently want access to midwifery continuity of care as an enabler for addressing their maternity care needs. Transforming Australian maternity care policy and service provision towards continuity would better meet women's needs.

Transforming the Quality Maternal Newborn Care Framework into an index to measure the quality of maternity care

BACKGROUND

The Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) Framework describes the care that childbearing women and newborn infants need in all settings. It comprises five components and was designed for use in planning, workforce development, and resource allocation, aimed at improving the quality and cost effectiveness of maternal and newborn care globally. The purpose of this paper is to describe the first phase of a project designed to transform the Framework into a quantitative tool for service user assessment of the quality of maternity care.

METHODS

Each component of the original Framework content was developed into a draft service user questionnaire and distributed to an expert panel, drawn from a range of low-, middle-, and high-resource countries. The panel consisted of five Framework authors, nine midwife researchers, six midwives, and five service user (consumer) advocates. Two rounds of discussion and revision were undertaken with the expert panel who commented on the importance, relevance and clarity of questions, and then on their necessity, wording, and order. A third round involved two experts in survey design.

RESULTS

Following 24 responses in the first round, the questions were refined and returned to the panel. After incorporating the second-round comments from 16 experts, the survey was then sent to two experts in questionnaire design and construction. Face validity was affirmed through this consultative process.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions, this robust iterative consultative process with an international expert panel has resulted in the prototype QMNC Framework index (QMNCFi)-a questionnaire designed for use in diverse settings to assess the quality of maternity care. The QMNCFi's psychometric properties are now being tested in an international online survey.

How midwives and nurses experience implementing ten steps to successful breastfeeding: a qualitative case study in an Indonesian maternity care facility

BACKGROUND

The in-hospital stay following childbirth is a critical time for education and support of new mothers to establish breastfeeding. The WHO/UNICEF 'Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (Ten Steps)' was launched globally in 1989 to encourage maternity services to educate and support mothers to breastfeed. The strategy is effective, however its uptake within health systems and facilities has been disappointing. We aimed to understand midwives' and nurses' experiences of implementing the Ten Steps in an Indonesian hospital.

METHODS

This qualitative study was conducted in an Indonesian hospital which has been implementing the Ten Steps since the hospital's establishment in 2012. Fourteen midwives and nurses participated in a focus group in January 2020. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

We identified five themes that represented midwives' and nurses' experiences of implementing the Ten Steps in this Indonesian maternity unit: 1) Human rights of child and mother, 2) Dependency on precarious leadership, 3) Lack of budget prioritization, 4) Fragmented and inconsistent implementation of the Ten Steps across the health system, and 5) Negotiating with family, community and culture. The results highlighted a dependency on local hospital champions and a lack of budget prioritization as barriers to implementation, as well as health system gaps which prevented the enablement of mothers and families to establish and maintain breastfeeding successfully in Indonesian maternity services.

CONCLUSIONS

As Indonesia has one of the largest populations in South East Asia, it is an important market for infant milk formula, and health services are commonly targeted for marketing these products. This makes it especially important that the government invest strongly in Ten Steps implementation. Continuity of care within and across the health system and leadership continuity are key factors in reinforcing its implementation. The study findings from this Indonesian maternity care facility re-emphasize WHO recommendations to integrate the Ten Steps into national health systems and increase pre-service education on breastfeeding for health care professionals.

"We All Believe in Breastfeeding": Australian Midwives' Experience of Implementing the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative

BACKGROUND

The education and support of new mothers during the in-hospital stay for childbirth is a critical time to establish breastfeeding. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative was launched in 1991 to encourage maternity services to support and educate mothers to breastfeed by implementing Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

RESEARCH AIM

To explore midwives' experiences of implementing the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in a Baby-Friendly accredited public hospital in Australia.

METHODS

In this prospective, cross-sectional qualitative study we used focus groups to explore midwives' experiences. Midwives (N = 26) participated in two focus groups conducted between October and November 2019. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Time as a critical resource, and continuity of care, were crosscutting themes that framed midwives' experiences in supporting mothers to breastfeed their babies. Time constraints were experienced both through the health system structure and the BFHI accreditation process. Despite the challenges, the overarching theme-that we all believe in breastfeeding-fueled midwives' motivation.

CONCLUSION

Health services policy and practice need to consider ways to enable continuity of midwifery care and adequate time for midwives to support women to breastfeed their babies.

Midwifery Continuity of Care in Indonesia: Initiation of Mobile Health Development Integrating Midwives' Competency and Service Needs

Midwives' competence in providing continuity of care using mobile health (mHealth) applications is limited in developing countries. This study identified and explored midwives' competency and service needs to develop mHealth in Midwifery Continuity of Care (MCOC) education and training. It used an explanatory sequential mixed method, and was conducted from August to December 2021. A cross-sectional approach was used to find the characteristics and competency scope of 373 midwives in West Java, and continued with a qualitative design through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) of 13 midwives. Descriptive data analysis (frequency, mean, deviation standard) and qualitative data analysis (coding, sub-themes, and theme) were conducted. In terms of the midwives who participated in this study, more than half were aged ≤ 35 years (58.98%), with a working period > 10 years (56.30%), had diploma degrees (71.12%), and used smartphones on average 1-12 h/day (78.28%). Most midwives needed to develop competency in the MCOC scope, including its early detection of the risk factor of complications and treatment management. They were concerned about the purposes, benefits, and design of mHealth. In summary, midwives' competency indicators for early detection are more needed in MCOC using mHealth. Further research is required to evaluate midwives' competence in MCOC using mHealth.

Midwifery continuity of care: A scoping review of where, how, by whom and for whom?

Systems of care that provide midwifery care and services through a continuity of care model have positive health outcomes for women and newborns. We conducted a scoping review to understand the global implementation of these models, asking the questions: where, how, by whom and for whom are midwifery continuity of care models implemented? Using a scoping review framework, we searched electronic and grey literature databases for reports in any language between January 2012 and January 2022, which described current and recent trials, implementation or scaling-up of midwifery continuity of care studies or initiatives in high-, middle- and low-income countries. After screening, 175 reports were included, the majority (157, 90%) from high-income countries (HICs) and fewer (18, 10%) from low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). There were 163 unique studies including eight (4.9%) randomised or quasi-randomised trials, 58 (38.5%) qualitative, 53 (32.7%) quantitative (cohort, cross sectional, descriptive, observational), 31 (19.0%) survey studies, and three (1.9%) health economics analyses. There were 10 practice-based accounts that did not include research. Midwives led almost all continuity of care models. In HICs, the most dominant model was where small groups of midwives provided care for designated women, across the antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care continuum. This was mostly known as caseload midwifery or midwifery group practice. There was more diversity of models in low- to middle-income countries. Of the 175 initiatives described, 31 (18%) were implemented for women, newborns and families from priority or vulnerable communities. With the exception of New Zealand, no countries have managed to scale-up continuity of midwifery care at a national level. Further implementation studies are needed to support countries planning to transition to midwifery continuity of care models in all countries to determine optimal model types and strategies to achieve sustainable scale-up at a national level.