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A qualitative study of midwives' perceptions on using video-calling in early labor
Helen Spiby1, Mary Ann Faucher2, Gina Sands1
1School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Birth (Berkeley, Calif.)
|June 15, 2018
Summary
Midwives see potential in video-calling for early labor assessment, offering visual cues for accuracy and trust. Challenges include privacy and accessibility, requiring further research and implementation strategies for this telehealth approach.
Area of Science:
- Maternal Health
- Digital Health
- Midwifery Practice
Background:
- Early labor decisions significantly impact maternal and infant outcomes.
- Current telephone assessments during labor cause dissatisfaction and challenges for midwives.
- Exploring innovative methods for early labor assessment is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate midwives' perspectives on using video-calling for early labor assessments.
- To understand the potential benefits and challenges of video-calling in maternity care.
- To gather insights for implementing video-calling in early labor assessment.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving 8 focus groups (45 midwives) and 4 interviews.
- Data collected from the Midlands (England) and US (mid-South, Northeast).
- Verbatim audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis.
Main Results:
- Midwives generally viewed video-calling positively, anticipating improved accuracy via visual cues and enhanced trust.
- Concerns were raised regarding privacy for both midwives and women, and accessibility issues.
- Strategies for implementation, including private spaces and training, were proposed.
Conclusions:
- Video-calling is a viable option for early labor assessment, though implementation challenges exist.
- Further research should consider women's and families' views alongside midwives'.
- Evidence on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of video-calling in maternity care is lacking.