Women's experiences of maternity service reconfiguration during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative investigation.
Midwifery
; 102: 103116, 2021 Nov.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1340769
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To explore women's experiences of maternity service reconfiguration during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic.DESIGN:
Qualitative interview study.SETTING:
South London, United Kingdom.PARTICIPANTS:
Women (N=23) who gave birth between March and August 2020 in one of the ten South London maternity hospitals.METHODS:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted (N=23), via video-conferencing software. Transcribed interviews were analysed 'by hand' using Microsoft Word. Template analysis was selected to code, analyse, and interpret data, according to the findings of a recently-published national survey of maternity service reconfiguration across the UK in response to COVID-19.FINDINGS:
Three main themes emerged throughanalysis:
(i) Disruption to In-Person Care and Increased Virtual Care Provision, (ii) Changes to Labour and Birth Preferences and Plans, (iii) Advice for Navigating Maternity Services During a Pandemic. KEYCONCLUSIONS:
Women reported mixed views on the reduction in scheduled in-person appointments. The increase in remote care, especially via telephone, was not well endorsed by women. Furthermore, women reported an under-reliance on healthcare professionals for support, rather turning to family. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE We provide insight into the experiences of women who received antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings should inform healthcare policy to build back better maternity care services after the pandemic.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Telemedicine
/
Pregnant Women
/
COVID-19
/
Maternal Health Services
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Midwifery
Journal subject:
Nursing
/
Obstetrics
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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