The co-design and piloting of interventions to improve patient and staff experience through better birth preparedness

Study Summary:

Many women have a very different birth experience to what they expected, which can contribute to anxiety and distress. Up to 1.5% of women experience post-traumatic stress disorder at six months following birth, and up to 50% of women suffer stress-related symptoms at two months after Caesarean section and 24% at six weeks after vaginal delivery.

Research has shown that having information about labour, birth and the postnatal period, and feeling in control during labour, are associated with positive psychological outcomes.

Some antenatal education is currently offered to women and their partners as part of routine care. However, many women do not attend these classes and the content and delivery is variable within and between areas.

ACE is a patient-focused intervention that will educate and support women to develop and use coping strategies. It will also equip the midwifery workforce at North Bristol NHS Trust to deliver interactive, skills-based education and enable them to better support patients.

The project aims to improve patient experience, psychological outcomes and staff satisfaction with care.

Focus groups will be held with women and staff to identify current expectations of labour and birth, and to understand how women would like to use coping strategies.

The two interventions (one for women; one for staff) will then be implemented in three community midwifery hubs. Around 50 women in each area will attend. Community midwives will deliver the intervention in addition to usual care. A project midwife will deliver the staff training intervention.

Study Timeline

The study started on 01st January 2019 and will end on 31st March 2020.

Further details

This study is funded by The Health Foundation. Collaborators include: the University of Bristol and the National Childbirth Trust.

Study Contact:

Chief Investigator, Dr Abi Merriel