Meta-Synthesis of the Needs of Women Cared for by Midwives During Childbirth in Hospitals

Abstract

Objective: To identify and meta-synthesize results of qualitative studies on the needs of women cared for by midwives during childbirth in hospitals.

Data sources: MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, and the Cochrane Library.

Study selection: We restricted the bibliographic search to articles published in English to July 31, 2020. The initial search yielded 6,407 articles, and after 2,504 duplicates were removed, we screened the titles and abstracts of 3,903 articles. We conducted a full-text review of 89 articles and included 13 qualitative studies about the needs of women who were hospitalized during childbirth and had midwives as their primary maternity care providers.

Data extraction: We extracted data (e.g., authors, publication date, type of study, sample size, results, and quotes) from the full text of each article into a standardized table. Two authors reviewed all articles using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool to assess study quality and to independently score each study.

Data synthesis: We analyzed the findings of each study and synthesized them to develop themes. We found 14 major themes that reflected the needs of women during hospitalization for childbirth: Nutrition, Hygiene, Privacy, Information, Bodily Respect, Respect for Social Role, Family Intimacy, Shelter, Pain Management, Partnership, Movement, Reassurance, Support, and Empowerment. We categorized these themes in Maslow's hierarchy of needs to better understand the phenomenon.

Conclusion: We identified 14 needs that midwives and nurses can meet when they care for women in hospitals during childbirth. Standardized methods to assess these needs and to link them to specific interventions can be used by midwives and nurses, which will likely affect women's satisfaction with their experience and overall quality of care.

Keywords: childbirth; labor; midwifery; need; obstetric; parturition; patient preference; personal satisfaction; qualitative research.