Decision-making in complex birth situations: a grounded theory study
At a glance
- Project leader : Prof. Yvonne Meyer, Prof. Dr. Jessica Pehlke-Milde
- Project team : Franziska Frank, Franziska Schläppy-Muntwyler
- Project status : completed
- Funding partner : SNSF (DORE)
- Project partner : Haute Ecole de Santé Vaud
- Contact person : Jessica Pehlke-Milde
Description
Background: Women who plan an out of hospital birth in developed countries are generally classified as low risk. Nevertheless, during birth, unexpected complications may arise, which need competent decisions from the responsible health professionals.
Aim: The aim of this study is to document the process of decision making when complications arise during homebirth from midwives and women's perspectives.
Design: A grounded theory study consisting of problem-centered interviews.
Methods: Qualitative data were collected by interviewing 20 independent midwives and 20 postpartum women working or living in two language regions (French, German) in Switzerland.
Findings: The results point to the central role of leeway in decision-making in that the decisions must be flexible enough to consider both clinical situation and respect the women’s perspective. Factors that may impact the decisions made under complex birth situations, such as the urgency with which a decision must be made or the midwives’ experience, were found to reduce and expand flexibility, respectively, in the decision-making process.
In sum, this study is a nuanced analysis of the process of collective decision making in the context of complex birth situations and thus represents an important contribution to midwivery studies.
Publications
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Meyer, Yvonne; Pehlke-Milde, Jessica; Muntwyler, Franziska Schläppy; Fleming, Valerie,
2019.
Integrative power in Swiss home-like childbirths : a qualitative multiple case study.
Midwifery.
78, pp. 97-103.
Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2019.08.005
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Meyer, Yvonne; Frank, Franziska; Schläppy Muntwyler, Franziska; Fleming, Valerie; Pehlke-Milde, Jessica,
2017.
Decision-making in Swiss home-like childbirth : a grounded theory study.
Women and Birth.
30(6), pp. e272-e280.
Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.05.004
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Meyer, Y.; Schläppy-Muntwyler, F.; Parpan, F.; Pehlke-Milde, Jessica,
2015.
La prise de décision partagée lors d’accouchements complexes : barrières et facteurs facilitants.
Les Dossiers de la Maïeutique.
2(2), pp. 73-83.
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Parpan, F.; Pehlke-Milde, Jessica; Meyer, Y.; Schläppy-Muntwyler, F.,
2014.
In:
Health Literacy als Basiskompetenz (in) der Gesundheitsgesellschaft.
Kongress der Österreichischen, Deutschen und Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Soziologie, Villach, Österreich, 18.-19. September 2014.
pp. 42-45.
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Parpan, F.; Pehlke-Milde, Jessica; Meyer, Y.; Schläppy-Muntwyler, F.,
2014.
Women's experiences with decision making when complications arise during out of hospital birth [poster].
In:
30th International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Triennial Congress, Prague, Czech Republic, 1-5 June 2014.
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Pehlke-Milde, Jessica; Parpan, F.; Meyer, Y.; Muntwyler-Schläppy, F.,
2013.
In:
VIII. Hebammenkongress: Forschungsworkshop der Hebammengemeinschaftshilfe (HGH), Nürnberg, Deutschland, 5.-8. Mai 2013.