Developing and introducing a post birth care plan (PBCP): an action research project.

Crowther, Susan; Lau, Annie; MacIver, Emma

Abstract

Objective: There is ongoing poor evaluation of post-birth care and an urgent need to improve women's satisfaction. To develop and evaluate an acceptable and useable post-birth care plan template through collaboration with women and community midwives. Design: Qualitative methodology using an action research design. Setting and participants: North East Scotland. 10 pregnant women and 6 community midwives. Findings: Seven themes emerged from thematic analysis that informed the format of the PBCP template: being prepared for transitions, physical needs, psychosocial needs, cultural, religious and spiritual needs, organisation of care information, knowledge transfer, financial information and guidance. Key conclusions: Women and midwives recognised the benefit of using a PBCP to ensure all information is covered and that care is individualised and organised according to cultural, social and physical needs, especially when there is fragmentation of services. The open conversational style of the PBCP provides opportunity to explore post-birth needs and how they develop over time. Implications for practice: PBCPs provide an opportunity for women to explore their post-birth needs with their midwife, enabling them to have meaningful, respectful conversations with their midwives during the antenatal and post-birth period. This has the potential to increase women's satisfaction with their care and is particularly pertinent in regions where fragmentary systems of care are prevalent.

Citation

CROWTHER, S., LAU, A. and MACIVER, E. 2020. Developing and introducing a post birth care plan (PBCP): an action research project. Midwifery [online], 82, article ID 102616. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2019.102616

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 15, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Dec 16, 2019
• Publication Date: Mar 31, 2020
• Deposit Date: Dec 23, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 17, 2020
• Journal: Midwifery
• Print ISSN: 0266-6138
• Electronic ISSN: 1532-3099
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 82
• Article Number: 102616
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2019.102616
• Keywords: Postnatal; Care plans; Midwifery; Information; Person-centred; Satisfaction
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/819796