Women 's perception on the quality of maternal and newborn care during the COVID-19 pandemic in German-speaking countries: Findings from the IMAgiNE EURO project comparing data from Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

COVID-19 pandemic Cultural differences Health system research Maternity care Newborn care Quality of care WHO standards

Journal

Midwifery
ISSN: 1532-3099
Titre abrégé: Midwifery
Pays: Scotland
ID NLM: 8510930

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
11 Oct 2024
Historique:
received: 27 04 2024
revised: 25 08 2024
accepted: 09 10 2024
medline: 19 10 2024
pubmed: 19 10 2024
entrez: 18 10 2024
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic compromised maternal and newborn care. Countries in the German speaking area share several clinical care guidelines but differed significantly in the strictness of COVID-19 protective measures. To investigate the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the German-speaking area and explore associations between the reorganisational changes due to COVID-19 and QMNC, as described with WHO Standards-based Quality Measures. As part of the IMAgiNE EURO study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04847336), we conducted an online survey on the QMNC in the German-speaking area, including women who gave birth in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Descriptive statistics, Spearman rank correlation coefficient and multivariable quantile regression were used. Out of a total of 70,721 women accessing the online questionnaire, 1,875 were included (Germany: n = 1,053, Switzerland: n = 494, Austria: n = 328). Significant differences across countries were found in Quality Measures. In Switzerland, women scored Quality Measures more favourable than in Germany and Austria in all four sub-indexes of QMNC. In Austria, Quality Measures gaps in the sub-index 'Experience of care' were higher. The sub-index 'Reorganisational changes due to COVID-19' correlated weakly to strongly with the other sub-indexes (between r = 0.33 and r = 0.62, p < 0.001 for all correlations). Midwives and other health professional should pay particular attention to the provision of respectful, high-quality care. To effectively improve QMNC, further research is essential to monitor the quality of care and develop targeted interventions beyond the COVID-19 pandemic addressing inherent challenges in the organisation and delivery of care.

Sections du résumé

PROBLEM OBJECTIVE
Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic compromised maternal and newborn care.
BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Countries in the German speaking area share several clinical care guidelines but differed significantly in the strictness of COVID-19 protective measures.
AIM OBJECTIVE
To investigate the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the German-speaking area and explore associations between the reorganisational changes due to COVID-19 and QMNC, as described with WHO Standards-based Quality Measures.
METHODS METHODS
As part of the IMAgiNE EURO study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04847336), we conducted an online survey on the QMNC in the German-speaking area, including women who gave birth in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Descriptive statistics, Spearman rank correlation coefficient and multivariable quantile regression were used.
FINDINGS RESULTS
Out of a total of 70,721 women accessing the online questionnaire, 1,875 were included (Germany: n = 1,053, Switzerland: n = 494, Austria: n = 328). Significant differences across countries were found in Quality Measures. In Switzerland, women scored Quality Measures more favourable than in Germany and Austria in all four sub-indexes of QMNC. In Austria, Quality Measures gaps in the sub-index 'Experience of care' were higher. The sub-index 'Reorganisational changes due to COVID-19' correlated weakly to strongly with the other sub-indexes (between r = 0.33 and r = 0.62, p < 0.001 for all correlations).
DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS
Midwives and other health professional should pay particular attention to the provision of respectful, high-quality care.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
To effectively improve QMNC, further research is essential to monitor the quality of care and develop targeted interventions beyond the COVID-19 pandemic addressing inherent challenges in the organisation and delivery of care.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2024.104209 PMID: 39423767
pubmed: 39423767
pii: S0266-6138(24)00292-4
doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2024.104209
pii:
doi:

Banques de données

ClinicalTrials.gov
['NCT04847336']

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

104209

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Auteurs

Susanne Grylka-Baeschlin (S)

Research Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Health Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland. Electronic address: susanne.grylka@zhaw.ch.

Michael Gemperle (M)

Research Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Health Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.

Ilaria Mariani (I)

WHO Collaborating Center for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.

Alessia Abderhalden-Zellweger (A)

School of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Céline Miani (C)

Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Sexual and reproductive health and rights research unit, Institut national d'études démographiques (Ined), Aubervilliers, France.

Christoph Zenzmaier (C)

Health University of Applied Sciences Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria.

Antonia Nathalie Mueller (AN)

Research Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Health Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.

Stephanie Batram-Zantvoort (S)

Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.

Martina Koenig-Bachmann (M)

Health University of Applied Sciences Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria.

Claire De Labrusse (C)

School of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Maryse Arendt (M)

Beruffsverband vun de Laktatiounsberoderinnen zu Lëtzebuerg asbl, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

Stefano Delle Vedove (SD)

WHO Collaborating Center for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.

Anouck Pfund (A)

School of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Imola Simon (I)

Health Department, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland, Pinkafeld, Austria.

Emanuelle Pessa Valente (EP)

WHO Collaborating Center for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.

Marzia Lazzerini (M)

WHO Collaborating Center for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy; Maternal Adolescent Reproductive and Child Health Care Centre, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Classifications MeSH