1. The Dutch Birth Centre Study: study design of a programmatic evaluation of the effect of birth centre care in the Netherlands
- Author
-
M. Hitzert, Eric A.P. Steegers, Marlies Rijnders, Johanna P. de Graaf, Therese A. Wiegers, Marc Bruijnzeels, Marieke A. A. Hermus, Henk Akkermans, M. Elske van den Akker-van Marle, Arie Franx, Karin M. van der Pal-de Bruin, Inge C. Boesveld, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Department of Management, and Research Group: Information & Supply Chain Management
- Subjects
Program evaluation ,AUSTRALIA ,home childbirth ,Cost-Benefit Analysis ,birthing centres ,PERINATAL HEALTH ,RESPONSIVENESS ,Study Protocol ,Life ,Pregnancy ,CH - Child Health ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Health care ,Obstetrics and Gynaecology ,OPTIMALITY INDEX ,Medicine ,Longitudinal Studies ,Registries ,Non-U.S. Gov't ,Qualitative Research ,Netherlands ,integrated care ,Perinatal mortality ,OUTCOMES ,Cost–benefit analysis ,communication ,Communication ,Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,Integrated care ,WOMEN ,Pregnancies ,Continuity of Patient Care ,Place of birth ,delivery obstetric ,Multicenter Study ,Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care ,perinatal mortality ,Health ,Female ,Healthy Living ,medicine.medical_specialty ,REFERRALS ,Referral ,Delivery rooms ,Reproductive medicine ,QUESTIONNAIRE ,Home childbirth ,Research Support ,Midwifery ,Birthing Centers ,Pregnancy outcome ,Nursing ,Journal Article ,Humans ,QUALITY ,Maternal Health Services ,Women ,Delivery obstetric ,MIDWIFERY CARE ,outcome assessment ,midwifery ,Quality Indicators, Health Care ,Quality of Health Care ,pregnancy outcome ,business.industry ,Birthing centres ,Outcome assessment (Health care) ,Birth ,delivery rooms ,ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences ,Healthy for Life ,business ,Program Evaluation ,Qualitative research - Abstract
Background: Birth centres are regarded as settings where women with uncomplicated pregnancies can give birth, assisted by a midwife and a maternity care assistant. In case of (threatening) complications referral to a maternityunit of a hospital is necessary. In the last decade up to 20 different birth centres have been instituted in the Netherlands. This increase in birth centres is attributed to various reasons such as a safe and easy accessible place of birth, organizational efficiency in integration of care and direct access to obstetric hospital care if needed, and better use of maternity care assistance. Birth centres are assumed to offer increased integration and quality of care and thus to contribute to better perinatal and maternal outcomes. So far there is no evidence for this assumption as no previous studies of birth centres have been carried out in the Netherlands.Design: The aims are 1) Identification of birth centres andmeasuring integration of organization and care 2)Measuring the quality of birth centre care 3) Effects of introducing a birth centre on regional quality and provision of care 4) Cost-effectiveness analysis 5) In depth longitudinal analysis of the organization and processes in birth centres. Different qualitative and quantitative methods will be used in the different sub studies. The design is a multi-centre, multi-method study, including surveys, interviews, observations, and analysis of registration data and documents.Discussion: The results of this study will enable users of maternity care, professionals, policy makers and health care financers to make an informed choice about the kind of birth location that is appropriate for their needs and wishes.Keywords: Birthing centres, Delivery rooms, Delivery obstetric, Pregnancy outcome, Home childbirth, Midwifery, Communication, Outcome assessment (Health care), Perinatal mortality, Integrated care
- Full Text
- View/download PDF