ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4964-2106
Current Organisations
Charles Darwin University
,
Burbangana Group
,
Western Sydney University
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-01-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-09-2016
Abstract: Despite low rates of home birth throughout most Western countries, the topic generates considerable debate. This is reflected by the differing positions on home birth adopted by professional colleges representing obstetricians and midwives. We reviewed position statements of midwifery and obstetric colleges in the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada to explore how the same body of research evidence leads to different positions. Aside from a joint statement from the UK we found widely differing stances, reflecting traditional midwifery perspectives of birth as a physiological process versus obstetric perspectives of potential pathology. We feel the differences in position statements are largely the end product of significant confirmatory bias. Review of organisational position on home birth suggests bias in literature interpretation.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2020
Publisher: The Sax Institute
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.17061/PHRP3112102
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-04-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-07-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2017.10.015
Abstract: Women at risk of preterm birth before 32 weeks gestation are routinely transferred to facilitate birth at a hospital that has Neonatal Intensive Care. The clinical outcomes of being 'in-born" improves newborn and neonatal outcomes is well documented. However little is known about the women's experiences when such a complication occurs. Using the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation Patient and Carer stories method, 10 women were purposively invited and consented to tell their stories. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken during their inpatient stay and then again, by telephone in the months following their baby's due date. Themes were identified, illustrated by exemplars. All women were multiparous. Without exception, the women said that having the support of their family was the most important factor in coping with their unexpected hospitalisation and the anxiety of having to deal with the uncertainty of their pregnancy outcome. The most difficult aspect of their experience was the distress of being separated from their children and families and undue stress and distress from their partners. Other issues they identified were: physical difficulties during transfer information overload as they sought to understand their changing circumstances accommodation issues and financial stress resulting from their relocation. All women perceived their midwifery, obstetric and neonatal care to be exceptional and their neonatal outcomes were positive. Improvements may be made by facilitating family contact allowing flexible visiting, assisting with partner/family accommodation, providing women with their basic needs during transport and providing assistance to relieve financial strain.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-01-2021
DOI: 10.1007/S42448-020-00065-3
Abstract: The objective of this scoping review was to map the current practice and best evidence for embedding cultural safety in child protection responses for Aboriginal families in hospitals. Electronic databases were searched systematically and the reference lists examined. Efforts to reduce the risk of bias were made including using an inductive approach. Eight research papers were included following the exclusion of 25 papers for the final analysis. Three main themes in relation to what is necessary to embed cultural safety for Aboriginal families when child protection responses are raised in hospital were found. These were (a) relationships, (b) organisational processes and (c) culture. The analysis underscores the need for development of child protection strategies that focus on cultural safety rather than cultural competence alone. This provides some direction for policy and practice development in this field, and has also highlighted the deficiencies in evidence and urgent need for further research.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-06-2019
DOI: 10.1111/BIRT.12436
Abstract: The measurement and interpretation of patient experience is a distinct dimension of health care quality. The Midwives @ New Group practice Options (M@NGO) randomized control trial of caseload midwifery compared with standard care among women regardless of risk reported both clinical and cost benefits. This study reports participants' perceptions of the quality of antenatal care within caseload midwifery, compared with standard care for women of any risk within that trial. A trial conducted at two Australian tertiary hospitals randomly assigned participants (1:1) to caseload midwifery or standard care regardless of risk. Women were sent an 89-question survey at 6 weeks postpartum that included 12 questions relating to pregnancy care. Ten survey questions (including 7-point Likert scales) were analyzed by intention to treat and illustrated by participant quotes from two free-text open-response items. From the 1748 women recruited to the trial, 58% (n = 1017) completed the 6-week survey. Of those allocated to caseload midwifery, 66% (n = 573) responded, compared with 51% (n = 444) of those allocated to standard care. The survey found women allocated to caseload midwifery perceived a higher level of quality care across every antenatal measure. Notably, those women with identified risk factors reported higher levels of emotional support (aOR 2.52 [95% CI 1.87-3.39]), quality care (2.94 [2.28-3.79]), and feeling actively involved in decision-making (3.21 [2.35-4.37]). Results from the study show that in addition to the benefits to clinical care and cost demonstrated in the M@NGO trial, caseload midwifery outperforms standard care in perceived quality of pregnancy care regardless of risk.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1071/AH11012
Abstract: The current Australian national maternity reform agenda focuses on improving access to maternity care for women and their families while preserving safety and quality. The caseload midwifery model of care offers the level of access to continuity of care proposed in the reforms however the introduction of these models in Australia continues to meet with strong resistance. In many places access to caseload midwifery care is offered as a token, usually restricted to well women, within limited metropolitan and regional facilities and where available, places for women are very small as a proportion of the total service provided. This case study outlines a major clinical redesign of midwifery care at a metropolitan tertiary referral maternity hospital in Sydney. Caseload midwifery care was introduced under randomised trial conditions to provide midwifery care to 1500 women of all risk resulting in half of the publicly insured women receiving midwifery group practice care. The paper describes the organisational quality and safety tools that were utilised to facilitate the process while discussing the factors that facilitated the process and the barriers that were encountered within the workforce, operational and political context. What is known about the topic? Caseload midwifery models of care have been established in a variety of community based and hospital settings throughout Australia with a reported reduction in clinical intervention rates while maintainning safety of mothers and babies. What does this paper add? This case study illustrates the strategies used to achieve a large sustainable clinical service redesign project based on the introduction of the caseload midwifery model of care. What are the implications for practitioners? Establishing midwifery group practice care within the mainstream maternity services has far reaching implications for the retention and recruitment of midwives and the improvement of clinical outcomes in childbirth.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.MIDW.2017.03.012
Abstract: to explore whether women allocated to caseload care characterise their midwife differently to those allocated to standard care. multi-site unblinded, randomised, controlled, parallel-group trial. the study was conducted in two metropolitan teaching hospitals across two Australian cities. women of all obstetric risk were eligible to participate. Inclusion criteria were: 18 years or older, less than 24 week's gestation with a singleton pregnancy. Women already booked with a care provider or planning to have an elective caesarean section were excluded. participants were randomised to caseload midwifery or standard care. The caseload model provided antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care from a primary midwife or 'back-up' midwife as well as consultation with obstetric or medical physicians as indicated by national guidelines. The standard model included care from a general practitioner and/or midwives and obstetric doctors. participants' responses to open-ended questions were collected through a 6-week postnatal survey and analysed thematically. A total of 1748 women were randomised between December 2008 - May 2011 871 to caseload midwifery and 877 to standard care. The response rate to the 6-week survey including free text items was 52% (n=901). Respondents from both groups characterised midwives as Informative, Competent and Kind. Participants in the caseload group perceived midwives with additional qualities conceptualised as Empowering and 'Endorphic'. These concepts highlight some of the active ingredients that moderated or mediated the effects of the midwifery care within the M@NGO trial. caseload midwifery attracts, motivates and enables midwives to go Above and Beyond such that women feel empowered, nurtured and safe during pregnancy, labour and birth. the concept of an Endorphic midwife makes a useful contribution to midwifery theory as it enhances our understanding of how the complex intervention of caseload midwifery influences normal birth rates and experiences. Defining personal midwife attributes which are important for caseload models has potential implications for graduate attributes in degree programs leading to registration as a midwife and selection criteria for caseload midwife positions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2011.01.001
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to review the clinical outcomes of descriptive and comparative cohort studies of the Australian caseload midwifery models of care that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. These models report uniformly a decrease in caesarean section operation rates when compared to local, state and national rates, irrespective of the obstetric risk of the women cared for. These outcomes are in contrast to the findings of the randomised controlled trials and comparative cohort studies of caseload midwifery conducted, predominantly in the United Kingdom, in the mid to late 1990s. The Australian studies show that caseload midwifery is a model of care that is associated with lowered rates of caesarean section operations, and other obstetric intervention rates. The absence of definitive evidence of the effect of caseload midwifery, derived from published descriptive and comparative cohort studies, underlines the need for a sufficiently powered randomised controlled trial of caseload midwifery. The randomised controlled trial of caseload midwifery being undertaken in two major teaching hospitals in Australia will provide definitive answers relating to the effect of the caseload midwifery model of care for women of all risk in the Australian context.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2019.07.002
Abstract: The urban-based Malabar Community Midwifery Link Service integrates multidisciplinary wrap-around services along-side continuity of midwifery care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies. To evaluate the Malabar Service from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2014. A mixed method design. Outcomes for mothers of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander babies cared for at an urban Australian referral hospital by the Malabar Service were compared to mainstream. Primary outcomes are rates of low birth weight smoking >20 weeks gestation preterm birth and breastfeeding at discharge. Malabar outcomes are also compared to national and state perinatal outcomes. The Malabar Service (n = 505) demonstrated similar rates of preterm birth (aOR 2.2, 95% CI 0.96-4.97) breastfeeding at discharge (aOR 1.1, 95% CI 0.61-1.86) and a higher rate of low birth weight babies (aOR 3.6, 95% CI 1.02-12.9) than the comparison group (n = 201). There was a 25% reduction in smoking rates from 38.9% to 29.1%. Compared to national and state populations, Malabar outcomes were better. Women experienced greater psychosocial complexity but were well supported. Malabar Mothers (n = 9) experienced: accessibility, preparedness for birth and cultural safety. Staff (n = 13) identified going 'above and beyond' and teamwork to provide culturally safe care counterbalanced with concerns around funding and cultural support. Dedicated integrated continuity of midwifery care with wrap-around services for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander mothers is highly valued and is culturally safe. The service is as safe as main stream services and promotes better clinical outcomes compared to national and state outcomes.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-11-2022
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0276459
Abstract: Maternity services around the world have been disrupted since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) representing one hundred and forty-three professional midwifery associations across the world sought to understand the impact of the pandemic on women and midwives. The aim of this study was to understand the global impact of COVID-19 from the point of view of midwives’ associations. A descriptive cross-sectional survey using an on-line questionnaire was sent via email to every midwives’ association member of ICM. The survey was developed and tested by a small global team of midwife researchers and clinicians. It consisted of 106 questions ided into seven discreet sections. Each member association was invited to make one response in either English, French or Spanish. Data were collected between July 2020 and April 2021. All respondents fulfilling the inclusion criteria irrespective of whether they completed all questions in the survey were eligible for analysis. All data collected was anonymous. There were 101 surveys returned from the 143 member associations across the world. Many countries reported being caught unaware of the severity of the infection and in some places, midwives were forced to make their own PPE, or reuse single use PPE. Disruption to maternity services meant women had to change their plans for place of birth and in many countries maternity facilities were closed to become COVID-19 centres. Half of all respondents stated that women were afraid to give birth in hospitals during the pandemic resulting in increased demand for home birth and community midwifery. Midwifery students were denied access to practical or clinical placements and their registration as midwives has been delayed in many countries. More than 50% of the associations reported that governments did not consult them, and they have little or no say in policy at government levels. These poor outcomes were not exclusive to high-, middle- or low-income countries. Strong recommendations that stem from this research include the need to include midwifery representation on key government committees and a need to increase the support for planned out of hospital birth. Both these recommendations stand to enhance the effectiveness of midwives in a world that continues to face and may face future catastrophic pandemics.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2021.05.002
Abstract: Although there is high-level evidence supporting positive perinatal outcomes for midwifery group practice (MGP) care, not all women can access this model due to a failure to implement or sustain it. The way that MGPs are managed could be an important factor in whether they are successful in the long-term. To explore what determines optimal management of MGP in Australia, and the influence it has on sustainability of MGP. Interviews were conducted with MGP midwives (n=8). Transcriptions of the audio recordings were analysed thematically and lexically for triangulation. Following a thematic analysis of the data, an over-arching theme emerged - namely - being valued and supported, with three sub-themes: a nice little sweet spot, someone to stand up for you, and building relationships and support beyond the model. This revealed that value and support by all stakeholders, including the midwives themselves, was necessary to sustain an MGP. The lexical analysis revealed the themes: support, the system, and the caseload. This analysis highlighted the importance of the system - specifically, the impact of the institution on how MGP is operationalised. For MGP to be sustained in Australia, it needs to be prioritised, nurtured, and embraced by the whole maternity care system. Management plays an important role in ensuring the right people are employed to pivotal positions and that midwifery-led models of care are valued and supported throughout the system.
No related grants have been discovered for Donna Hartz.