Measuring the quality of documented care given by Swedish midwives during birth

Abstract

Objective: to measure the extent documented Swedish midwifery care for low risk labour and birth followed WHO's recommendations for care in normal birth and to compare midwifery care given to women who's labours could be classified as low and high risk.Study design: A retrospective examination of midwifery and medical records, 144 from women with low risk births and 54 from women with high risk births, for aspects of pregnancy, labour and birth using a validated instrument based on WHO's recommendations.Setting: Southern Sweden.Outcome measurements: Care given in accordance with WHO's four categories of practice and changes in risk group during the birth process. Documented care differed little between the labours of women at low risk and high risk. The midwives at the unit under study did not routinely carry out risk assessment. Key conclusions and implications for practice:The mode of care was one of readiness for medical intervention. The act of carrying out risk assessments at the time of the woman's admission may affect awareness of the level of care offered to birthing women and thus help to reduce the number and variety of practices not recommended by WHO.

Swedish midwives' rating of risks during labour progress and their attitudes toward performing intrapartum interventions: a web-based survey

“…This may also reflect Swedish midwives risk perception in the process of normal labour. In a recently published study from Sweden with the aim to measure the extent to which documented midwifery care in women with low-risk labour and birth followed WHO's recommendations, it was found that interventions such as routine use of intravenous catheter, administration of oxytocin and use of CTG for longer periods during labour was frequently used during labour also in low-risk women (Kvist et al, 2010).…”

Evaluating the content and quality of intrapartum care in vaginal births: An example of a state hospital

“…The researchers collected data for the research using a questionnaire that was developed based on the pertinent literature ( 19 , 20 ) , and assessed using the Bologna score. The questionnaire’s 36 items probed the women’s sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics; whether their pregnancies had been planned and wanted; whether they had received antenatal care; their height and weight; smoking status; cervical dilation upon admittance to hospital; whether an enema, epidural anesthesia, vacuum or episiotomy had been performed during labor; and the baby’s Apgar score in the fifth minute.…”

Intrapartum care at a tertiary hospital in Cambodia: A survey using the Bologna Score

“…To our knowledge, two instruments have been developed based on WHO's recommendations: the Bologna Score (Chalmers and Porter, 2001) and an audit instrument (Sandin-Bojö et al, 2004). Both instruments have been used by Sandin-Bojö et al (2006, 2007 and Sandin-Bojö and Kvist (2008) and the audit instrument has been used by several researchers, among these Hashimoto (2007) and Kvist et al (2011). Studies have shown that the instruments are useful for evaluation and identification of areas of improvement, although they have not been used in a developing country.…”