Improving quality of care and outcome at very preterm birth: the Preterm Birth research programme, including the Cord pilot RCT

BACKGROUND:Being born very premature (i.e. before 32 weeks’ gestation) has an impact on survival and quality of life. Improving care at birth may improve outcomes and parents’ experiences. OBJECTIVES:To improve the quality of care and outcomes following very preterm birth. DESIGN:We used mixed methods, including a James Lind Alliance prioritisation, a systematic review, a framework synthesis, a comparative review, qualitative studies, development of a questionnaire tool and a medical device (a neonatal resuscitation trolley), a survey of practice, a randomised trial and a protocol for a prospective meta-analysis using individual participant data. SETTING:For the prioritisation, this included people affected by preterm birth and health-care practitioners in the UK relevant to preterm birth. The qualitative work on preterm birth and the development of the questionnaire involved parents of infants born at three maternity hospitals in southern England. The medical device was developed at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. The survey of practice involved UK neonatal units. The randomised trial was conducted at eight UK tertiary maternity hospitals. PARTICIPANTS:For prioritisation, 26 organisations and 386 individuals; for the interviews and questionnaire tool, 32 mothers and seven fathers who had a baby born before 32 weeks’ gestation for interviews evaluating the trolley, 30 people who had experienced it being used at the birth of their baby (19 mothers, 10 partners and 1 grandmother) and 20 clinicians who were present when it was being used; for the trial, 261 women expected to have a live birth before 32 weeks’ gestation, and their 276 babies. INTERVENTIONS:Providing neonatal care at very preterm birth beside the mother, and with the umbilical cord intact; timing of cord clamping at very preterm birth. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Research priorities for preterm birth; feasibility and acceptability of the trolley; feasibility of a randomised trial, death and intraventricular haemorrhage. REVIEW METHODS:Systematic review of Cochrane reviews (umbrella review); framework synthesis of ethics aspects of consent, with conceptual framework to inform selection criteria for empirical and analytical studies. The comparative review included studies using a questionnaire to assess satisfaction with care during childbirth, and provided psychometric information. RESULTS:Our prioritisation identified 104 research topics for preterm birth, with the top 30 ranked. An ethnographic analysis of decision-making during this process suggested ways that it might be improved. Qualitative interviews with parents about their experiences of very preterm birth identified two differences with term births: the importance of the staff appearing calm and of staff taking control. Following a comparative review, this led to the development of a questionnaire to assess parents’ views of care during very preterm birth. A systematic overview summarised evidence for delivery room neonatal care and revealed significant evidence gaps. The framework synthesis explored ethics issues in consent for trials involving sick or preterm infants, concluding that no existing process is ideal and identifying three important gaps. This led to the development of a two-stage consent pathway (oral assent followed by written consent), subsequently evaluated in our randomised trial. Our survey of practice for care at the time of birth showed variation in approaches to cord clamping, and that no hospitals were providing neonatal care with the cord intact. We showed that neonatal care could be provided beside the mother using either the mobile neonatal resuscitation trolley we developed or existing equipment. Qualitative interviews suggested that neonatal care beside the mother is valued by parents and acceptable to clinicians. Our pilot randomised trial compared cord clamping after 2 minutes and initial neonatal care, if needed, with the cord intact, with clamping within 20 seconds and initial neonatal care after clamping. This study demonstrated feasibility of a large UK randomised trial. Of 135 infants allocated to cord clamping ≥ 2 minutes, 7 (5.2%) died and, of 135 allocated to cord clamping ≤ 20 seconds, 15 (11.1%) died (risk difference –5.9%, 95% confidence interval –12.4% to 0.6%). Of live births, 43 out of 134 (32%) allocated to cord clamping ≥ 2 minutes had intraventricular haemorrhage compared with 47 out of 132 (36%) allocated to cord clamping ≤ 20 seconds (risk difference –3.5%, 95% CI –14.9% to 7.8%). LIMITATIONS:Small sample for the qualitative interviews about preterm birth, single-centre evaluation of neonatal care beside the mother, and a pilot trial. CONCLUSIONS:Our programme of research has improved understanding of parent experiences of very preterm birth, and informed clinical guidelines and the research agenda. Our two-stage consent pathway is recommended for intrapartum clinical research trials. Our pilot trial will contribute to the individual participant data meta-analysis, results of which will guide design of future trials. FUTURE WORK:Research in preterm birth should take account of the top priorities. Further evaluation of neonatal care beside the mother is merited, and future trial of alternative policies for management of cord clamping should take account of the meta-analysis. STUDY REGISTRATION:This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42012003038 and CRD42013004405. In addition, Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN21456601. FUNDING:This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full in Programme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 7, No. 8. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

WHO’s recommendations for care in normal birth : Development of an instrument, midwives’ documented care and women’s perceptions

The aims of intrapartal care are a healthy mother and child and a positive birth experience for the woman. The aims should be achieved using the least possible number of interventions that is compatible with safety. The overall aim of this thesis was to develop an instrument based on the WHO’s recommendations for care in normal birth, to describe documented intrapartal care in a pre- and post-test following a quality improvement program and to elucidate women’s perceptions of received intrapartal care. The Delphi method was used to develop the instrument. Birth records were scrutinized in the pre-test (n=212) as well in the post-test (n=240). Women’s (n=138) perceptions were collected with a questionnaire. An instrument with 69 questions and 24 follow-up questions was developed. The results from the pre-test showed that WHO’s recommendations were only partly followed. Intrapartal care for women at low-risk was similar to care for women at high-risk. Areas for improvement were identified and a quality improvement program was carried out during a two-year period. The post-test showed that the intrapartal care changed towards more adherence to WHO’s recommendations, especially for areas where guidelines were written and for women at low-risk. No statistically significant differences were found for the number of spontaneous vaginal deliveries, mother and child at low-risk after birth, active labour longer than 12 hours or second stage longer than one hour. The result from the women’s questionnaire showed that they to a great extent received care which encompassed practices that are demonstrably useful and should be encouraged. The women’s perceptions were that all received care was of great subjective importance. The instrument developed from WHO’s recommendations can be used to examine intrapartal care. Midwives should carry out a risk assessment on the woman’s arrival at the maternity unit and plan the care together with the woman and significant others. Midwives’ documentation needs to change to incorporate interpersonal aspects. Women’s faith in intrapartal care shows the importance of continuous education for midwives in evidence-based care for normal birth. National evidence-based guidelines for intrapartal care need to be developed.Målet med förlossningsvården är en frisk mor och ett friskt barn samt en för kvinnan positiv upplevelse av förlossningen. Dessa mål skall eftersträvas med minsta möjliga ingrepp i förlossningens förlopp men med bibehållen säkerhet för mor och barn. Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling var att, utifrån WHO:s rekommendationer avseende vård vid normal förlossning, utveckla ett instrument för att kartlägga barnmorskors dokumenterade förlossningsvård före och efter ett kvalitetsutvecklingsprogram samt belysa kvinnors uppfattningar av förlossningsvård. Instrumentutvecklingen genomfördes med Delfimetoden. Förlossningsjournaler granskades vid såväl föremätning (n= 212) som eftermätning (n=240). Kvinnors (n=138) uppfattningar insamlades med en enkät. Ett instrument omfattande 69 frågor och 24 uppföljningsfrågor utvecklades. Resultatet av föremätningen visar att WHO:s rekommendationer bara delvis följdes. Vården skilde sig i liten utsträckning för kvinnor med låg- respektive högrisk. Förbättringsområden identifierades och ett kvalitetsutvecklingsprogram genomfördes under en tvåårsperiod. Eftermätningen visar att vården förändrades i riktning mot WHO:s rekommendationer, särskilt för de områden där riktlinjer utvecklats samt för kvinnor i lågriskgruppen. Inga statistiskt signifikanta skillnader noterades beträffande antalet spontana förlossningar, antalet mödrar och barn som var lågrisk efter förlossningen, antalet aktiva förlossningar över 12 timmar och antalet förlossningar med utdrivningsskede över 1 timma. Enkätstudien till kvinnorna visar att de i stor utsträckning erhöll vård enligt den praxis som är bra och bör uppmuntras. Kvinnorna uppfattade genomgående att erhållen vård var av stor subjektiv betydelse. Instrumentet med utgångspunkt från WHO:s rekommendationer kan användas vid kartläggning av förlossningsvård. Barnmorskor bör göra en riskbedömning vid kvinnans ankomst till förlossningen och planera vården tillsammans med kvinnan och anhöriga utifrån denna. Barnmorskors dokumentation behöver förändras för att såväl omfatta medicinsk-tekniska som mellanmänskliga aspekter. Kvinnors tillit till förlossningsvården visar på vikten av att barnmorskor erhåller kontinuerlig fortbildning i evidensbaserad vård avseende normal förlossning. Evidensbaserade nationella riktlinjer för vård vid förlossning behöver utvecklas

Changes in Sexuality, Body Image and Health Related Quality of Life in Patients Treated for Hematologic Malignancies : A Longitudinal Study

Longitudinal studies exploring sexuality, body image and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are lacking in patients treated with chemo- or chemoimmuno-therapy for hematologic malignancies. The aim was to describe and explore changes in sexuality, body image and HRQoL in patients treated for hematologic malignancies, from baseline until 6 months after treatment. Twenty patients above 45 years (median age 62) treated for DLBCL, CLL or AML participated. Data were collected at baseline, 1- and 6-months after treatment by means of three instruments: SAQ-S, BIS and EORTC QLQ-C30. The results showed that patients' sexuality was negatively affected 1 month after treatment, but after 6 months the patient reported scores had returned almost entirely to baseline scores. Body image was slight negatively affected after 1 month and after 6 months, 50 % reported that body image was not affected at all. Regarding HRQoL, patients reported gradually improved scores during the study period. Regression analysis showed that changes in sexuality and body image seemed to influence changes in HRQoL. This study has shown changes in sexuality, body image and HRQoL over time in patients above age 45 treated for hematologic malignancies. One month after treatment all three areas becomes negatively affected, and thereafter the patients' scores recovered to a great extent regarding these issues within 6 months. Sexuality and body image seem to be important aspects of HRQoL for these patients and need to be integrated in the cancer rehabilitation during and after treatment

Measuring the quality of documented care given by Swedish midwives during birth.

OBJECTIVES: to measure the extent to which documented Swedish midwifery care for low-risk labour and birth followed the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations for care in normal birth, and to compare midwifery care given to women who's labours were classified as low and high risk. STUDY DESIGN: a retrospective examination of midwifery and medical records, 144 from women with low-risk births and 54 from women with high-risk births, for aspects of pregnancy, labour and birth using a validated instrument based on WHO's recommendations. SETTING: southern Sweden. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: care given in accordance with WHO's four categories of practice and changes in risk group during the birth process. FINDINGS: care interventions not recommended by WHO, such as routine establishment of an intravenous route, routine amniotomy during the first stage, continuous electronic fetal monitoring and pharmacological methods of pain relief, were widespread in the records. Documented care differed little between the labours of women at low risk and high risk. The midwives at the unit under study did not routinely carry out risk assessment. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: the mode of care was one of readiness for medical intervention. The act of carrying out risk assessments at the time of the woman's admission may affect awareness of the level of care offered to birthing women, and thus help to reduce the number and variety of practices not recommended by WHO

O uso do Escore de Bologna na avaliação da assistência a partos normais em maternidades

Objetivo: Avaliar a assistência ao parto e ao nascimento em maternidades de risco habitual em uma capital do sul do Brasil.Método: Trata-se de uma pesquisa avaliativa, retrospectiva, quantitativa, desenvolvida em três maternidades. As variáveis relativas ao Escore de Bolonha (presença de acompanhante; uso de partograma; ausência de estimulação ao trabalho de parto; parto em posição não supina; contato pele-a-pele da mãe com o recém-nascido) foram coletados em 406 prontuários, tabulados em planilhas eletrônicas e submetidos à análise de frequência simples. A coleta foi realizada de junho a setembro de 2014.Resultados: As pontuações atribuídas variam de 0 a 5, de acordo com a realização ou não da prática. Obtiveram-se pontuações: 0 (7%); 1 (44,1%); 2 (40,4%); 3 (12,1%), 4 (2,5%), e 5 (0,2%).Conclusão: Nas maternidades de risco habitual avaliadas, o atendimento ao parto e ao nascimento não corresponde aos padrões recomendados pela Organização Mundial da Saúde.Palavras-chave: Avaliação em saúde. Parto normal. Mortalidade perinatal. Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio