Affiliation:
1. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Patient- or woman-centered care, prioritizing women’s perspectives, needs, and preferences, is a widely recommended approach to enhance the quality of maternity care services. It aligns with the broader principles of patient-centered care, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative and respectful relationship between healthcare providers and women. This study evaluates low-risk pregnancies managed by midwives and obstetrician-gynecologists in Lithuania using patient-reported outcome measures and patient-reported experience measures. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted between September 2022 and April 2023. Data were collected through patient-reported questionnaires. Results: A total of 153 pregnant women who had singleton, low-risk pregnancies participated in the study, of whom 24.8% had their pregnancies supervised by a midwife, and 75.2% of the participants had their pregnancies supervised by an obstetrician-gynecologist. The study found no statistically significant differences in assessed patient-reported outcome measures and patient-reported experience measures between both models of care. Conclusions: Adopting patient-centered approaches enables healthcare systems to understand and address women’s specific needs and preferences, fostering high-quality and woman-centered care. This research adds to the growing evidence supporting midwife-led care and emphasizes the importance of personalized, woman-centered approaches in maternity care, ultimately enhancing maternal health outcomes and promoting positive experiences for low-risk pregnant women. The quality of care provided by midwives remains uncompromised and equivalently proficient compared to the care provided by collaborative teams.
Reference47 articles.
1. (2023, July 26). Who Recommendations: Intrapartum Care for a Positive Childbirth Experience; World Health Organization. Available online: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/260178/9789241550215-eng.pdf.
2. Client-Centred Maternity Care from Women’s Perspectives: Need for Responsiveness;Lips;Midwifery,2019
3. Battershell, M., Vu, H., Callander, E.J., Slavin, V., Carrandi, A., Teede, H., and Bull, C. (Women Birth, 2023). Development, Women-Centricity and Psychometric Properties of Maternity Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS): A Systematic Review, Women Birth, in press.
4. Heinonen, K. (2021). Strengthening Antenatal Care towards a Salutogenic Approach: A Me-ta-Ethnography. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18.
5. Kwame, A., and Petrucka, P.M. (2021). A Literature-Based Study of Patient-Centered Care and Communication in Nurse-Patient Interactions: Barriers, Facilitators, and the Way Forward. BMC Nurs., 20.