Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
CHEO Research Institute, CHEO, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
J Midwifery Womens Health. 2021 Mar;66(2):174-184. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13164. Epub 2020 Dec 18.
In 2014, 2 new freestanding midwifery-led birth centers opened in Ontario, Canada. As one part of a larger mixed-methods evaluation of the first year of operations of the centers, our primary objective was to compare the experiences of women receiving midwifery care who intended to give birth at the new birth centers with those intending to give birth at home or in hospital.
We conducted a cross-sectional survey of women cared for by midwives with admitting privileges at one of the 2 birth centers. Consenting women received the survey 3 to 6 weeks after their due date. We stratified the analysis by intended place of birth at the beginning of labor, regardless of where the actual birth occurred. One composite indicator was created (Composite Satisfaction Score, out of 20), and statistical significance (P < .05) was assessed using one-way analysis of variance. Responses to the open-ended questions were reviewed and grouped into broader categories.
In total, 382 women completed the survey (response rate 54.6%). Half intended to give birth at a birth center (n = 191). There was a significant difference on the Composite Satisfaction Scores between the birth center (19.4), home (19.5), and hospital (18.9) groups (P < .001). Among women who intended to give birth in a birth center, scores were higher in the women admitted to the birth center compared with those who were not (P = .037). Overall, women giving birth at a birth center were satisfied with the learners present at their birth, the accessibility of the centers, and the physical amenities, and they had suggestions for minor improvements.
We found positive experiences and high satisfaction among women receiving midwifery care, regardless of intended place of birth. Women admitted to the birth centers had positive experiences with these new centers; however, future research should be planned to reassess and further understand women's experiences.
2014 年，加拿大安大略省新开了 2 家独立的助产士主导的分娩中心。作为对中心开业第一年运营情况进行的更大规模混合方法评估的一部分，我们的主要目标是比较打算在新分娩中心分娩的接受助产士护理的女性与打算在家中或医院分娩的女性的经历。
我们对 2 家分娩中心之一的有入住权的助产士照顾的女性进行了横断面调查。同意参加调查的女性在预产期后 3 至 6 周时收到了调查。我们根据分娩开始时的预期分娩地点对分析进行分层，无论实际分娩地点在哪里。创建了一个综合指标（20 分制的综合满意度评分），使用单向方差分析评估统计学意义（P<.05）。对开放式问题的回答进行了审查并归入更广泛的类别。
共有 382 名女性完成了调查（回复率 54.6%）。有一半的女性打算在分娩中心分娩（n=191）。分娩中心（19.4）、家庭（19.5）和医院（18.9）组的综合满意度评分存在显著差异（P<.001）。在打算在分娩中心分娩的女性中，入住分娩中心的女性得分高于未入住的女性（P=.037）。总体而言，在分娩中心分娩的女性对分娩时在场的学习者、中心的可及性以及物理设施感到满意，并对一些小的改进提出了建议。
无论预期的分娩地点如何，我们都发现接受助产士护理的女性有积极的体验和高度的满意度。入住分娩中心的女性对这些新中心有积极的体验；然而，应计划未来的研究来重新评估和进一步了解女性的体验。
