Care concepts during the latent phase of labour: A scoping review

Optimal care concepts for the latent phase of labour are often lacking and inconsistent. Early hospital admission is not recommended because it is associated with higher intervention rates. Sustainable (home-based) care concepts for this phase are therefore needed.

To identify and describe existing concepts for supporting women during the latent phase of labour with regard to their objectives, measures, and intended outcome parameters for evaluation.

A scoping review was conducted following JBI methodology and reported according to PRISMA-ScR. A systematic literature search was performed in Medline (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Cochrane, Cordis, and Scopus. Study selection, data extraction, and analysis were conducted independently by two reviewers.

Of the 2,320 records identified, 31 publications describing 15 care concepts were included. Interventions were grouped into inpatient care, outpatient care, and asynchronous support formats. Most concepts focused on hospital-based care and combined multiple components for autonomous use after initial guidance by a health care professional. Intended outcomes included reduced labour duration, increased satisfaction, reduced staff workload, and fewer hospital admissions during the latent phase. Four interventions used exclusively asynchronous digital formats; three were associated with reduced labour augmentation and increased birth satisfaction.

The concepts varied widely in content, delivery methods, and objectives, reflecting different care contexts and health systems. Further evaluation of effectiveness and careful consideration of objectives are essential when developing future care concepts for the latent phase.