Australian maternity care, considering risk and supporting safety: A scoping review

Journal article


Brundell, Kath, Vasilevski, Vidanka and Sweet, Linda. (2022). Australian maternity care, considering risk and supporting safety: A scoping review. Midwifery. 112, p. Article 103408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2022.103408
AuthorsBrundell, Kath, Vasilevski, Vidanka and Sweet, Linda
Abstract

Objective
Assessment of women's risk status influences the operationalisation of maternity. Decisions are made at a health service executive level, related to the ongoing level of maternity care provided, and/or sustainability of the maternity service. The aim of this scoping review was to explore how health service executives considered maternity risk when operationalising safe maternity services in Australia.

Design
Scoping review methodology was used to examine the breadth and extent of evidence, and to identify potential gaps in the research evidence.

Results
Overall, there was little literature on how health service executives understand and interpret risk to providing and operationalising maternity services. Evidence indicated a reduced tolerance for risk in the provision of maternity services. Executive consistency and midwifery leadership were important in operationalisation of maternity service provision.

Key conclusions
With rising rates of maternity service closure and reduction of service capability in Australia, women are most impacted, having reduced access to timely and quality care. More needs to be done to understand the health service executive perspective regarding drivers for these decisions and the barriers and enablers for maternity service sustainability. How health service executives perceive maternity care and experience operationalising maternity services, particularly in rural areas is a gap identified. Further research is warranted in this area to address this significant lack of knowledge.

Implications for practice
Understanding how health service executive consider maternity care is crucial for ongoing operational safety and maternity care sustainability.

Keywordssustainability; risk perception; risk management; clinical governance; maternity
Year2022
JournalMidwifery
Journal citation112, p. Article 103408
PublisherElsevier Ltd
ISSN0266-6138
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2022.103408
PubMed ID35779321
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85133228936
Page range1-11
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online24 Jun 2022
Publication process dates
Accepted19 Jun 2022
Deposited26 Jul 2023
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8z642/australian-maternity-care-considering-risk-and-supporting-safety-a-scoping-review

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 34
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Australian maternity service provision : A comparative analysis of state and territory maternity care frameworks
Brundell, Kath, Vasilevski, Vidanka, Farrell, Tanya and Sweet, Linda. (2022). Australian maternity service provision : A comparative analysis of state and territory maternity care frameworks. Australian Health Review. 46(5), pp. 559-566. https://doi.org/10.1071/AH22059
Maternity care in rural Victoria: Midwives' perspectives
Brundell, Kathryn Felicity. (2015). Maternity care in rural Victoria: Midwives' perspectives [Thesis]. https://doi.org/10.4226/66/5a9cc1bfb0bae