Browsing by Author "Newton M."
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Item Exploring satisfaction among women having a First Nations baby at one of three maternity hospitals offering culturally specific continuity of midwife care in Victoria, Australia: a cross-sectional survey.(2023-07-11) McCalman P.; Forster D.; Springall T.; Newton M.; McLardie-Hore F.; McLachlan H.Background: Continuity of midwife care is recommended to redress the inequitable perinatal outcomes experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) mothers and babies, however more evidence is needed about First Nations women's views and experiences of their care. Aim(s): This study aimed to explore levels of satisfaction among women having a First Nations baby, who received maternity care at one of three maternity services, where new culturally specific midwife continuity models had been recently implemented. Method(s): Women having a First Nations baby who were booked for care at one of three study sites in Naarm (Melbourne), Victoria, were invited to complete one questionnaire during pregnancy and then a follow up questionnaire, 3 months after the birth. Result(s): Follow up questionnaires were completed by 213 women, of whom 186 had received continuity of midwife care. Most women rated their pregnancy (80 %) and labour and birth care (81 %) highly ('6 or '7' on a scale of 1-7). Women felt informed, that they had an active say in decisions, that their concerns were taken seriously, and that the midwives were kind, understanding and there when needed. Ratings of inpatient postnatal care were lower (62 %), than care at home (87 %). Conclusion(s): Women having a First Nations baby at one of three maternity services, where culturally specific, continuity of midwife care models were implemented reported high levels of satisfaction with care. It is recommended that these programs are upscaled, implemented and sustained.Copyright © 2023 Australian College of MidwivesItem "Safe, connected, supported in a complex system." Exploring the views of women who had a First Nations baby at one of three maternity services offering culturally tailored continuity of midwife care in Victoria, Australia. A qualitative analysis of free-text survey responses.(2024-02-07) McCalman P.; Forster D.; Newton M.; McLardie-Hore F.; McLachlan H.Background: In Australia, continuity of midwife care is recommended for First Nations women to address the burden of inequitable perinatal outcomes experienced by First Nations women and newborns. Aim(s): This study aimed to explore the experiences of women having a First Nations baby who received care at one of three maternity services in Naarm (Melbourne), Victoria, where culturally tailored midwife continuity models had been implemented. Method(s): Women having a First Nations baby who were booked for care at one of three study sites were invited to participate in an evaluation of care. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data from responses to free-text, open ended questions that were included in a follow-up questionnaire at 3-6 months after the birth. Result(s): In total, 213 women (of whom 186 had continuity of midwife care) participated. The global theme for what women liked about their care was 'Safe, connected, supported' including emotional and clinical safety, having a known midwife and being supported 'my way'. The global theme for what women did not like about their care was 'A complex, fragmented and unsupportive system' including not being listened to, things not being explained, and a lack of cultural safety. Conclusion(s): Culturally tailored caseload midwifery models appear to make maternity care feel safer for women having a First Nations baby, however, the mainstream maternity care system remained challenging for some. These models should be implemented for First Nations women, and evidence-based frameworks, such as the RISE framework, should be used to facilitate change.Copyright © 2024 The AuthorsItem Translating evidence into practice: implementing culturally safe continuity of midwifery care for First Nations women in three maternity services in Victoria, Australia.(2022-05-28) McLachlan H.L.; Newton M.; McLardie-Hore F.E.; McCalman P.; Jackomos M.; Bundle G.; Kildea S.; Chamberlain C.; Browne J.; Ryan J.; Freemantle J.; Shafiei T.; Jacobs S.E.; Oats J.; Blow N.; Ferguson K.; Gold L.; Watkins J.; Dell M.; Read K.; Hyde R.; Matthews R.; Forster D.A.Background: Strategies to improve outcomes for Australian First Nations mothers and babies are urgently needed. Caseload midwifery, where women have midwife-led continuity throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the early postnatal period, is associated with substantially better perinatal health outcomes, but few First Nations women receive it. We assessed the capacity of four maternity services in Victoria, Australia, to implement, embed, and sustain a culturally responsive caseload midwifery service. Method(s): A prospective, non-randomised research translational study design was used. Site specific culturally responsive caseload models were developed by site working groups in partnership with their First Nations health units and the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. The primary outcome was to increase the proportion of women having a First Nations baby proactively offered and receiving caseload midwifery as measured before and after programme implementation. The study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia. Data collection commenced at the Royal Women's Hospital on 06/03/2017, Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital 01/10/2017 and Mercy Hospital for Women 16/04/2018, with data collection completed at all sites on 31/12/2020. Finding(s): The model was successfully implemented in three major metropolitan maternity services between 2017 and 2020. Prior to this, over a similar timeframe, only 5.8% of First Nations women (n = 34) had ever received caseload midwifery at the three sites combined. Of 844 women offered the model, 90% (n = 758) accepted it, of whom 89% (n = 663) received it. Another 40 women received standard caseload. Factors including ongoing staffing crises, prevented the fourth site, in regional Victoria, implementing the model. Interpretation(s): Key enablers included co-design of the study and programme implementation with First Nations people, staff cultural competency training, identification of First Nations women (and babies), and regular engagement between caseload midwives and First Nations hospital and community teams. Further work should include a focus on addressing cultural and workforce barriers to implementation of culturally responsive caseload midwifery in regional areas. Funding(s): Partnership Grant (# 1110640), Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and La Trobe University.Copyright © 2022 The Author(s)Item Trust, privacy, community, and culture: important elements of maternity care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women giving birth in Victoria.(2023-01-31) McCalman P.; McLardie-Hore F.; Newton M.; McLachlan H.; Forster D.Background: The Australian maternity system must enhance its capacity to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) mothers and babies, however evidence regarding what is important to women is limited. Aim(s): The aim of this study was to explore what women having a First Nations baby rate as important for their maternity care as well as what life stressors they may be experiencing. Method(s): Women having a First Nations baby who booked for care at one of three urban Victorian maternity services were invited to complete a questionnaire. Result(s): 343 women from 76 different language groups across Australia. Almost one third of women reported high levels of psychological distress, mental illness and/or were dealing with serious illness or death of relatives or friends. Almost one quarter reported three or more coinciding life stressors. Factors rated as most important were privacy and confidentiality (98 %), feeling that staff were trustworthy (97 %), unrestricted access to support people during pregnancy appointments, (87 %) birth (66 %) and postnatally (75 %), midwife home visits (78 %), female carers (66 %), culturally appropriate artwork, brochures (68 %) and access to Elders (65 %). Conclusion(s): This study provides important information about what matters to women who are having a First Nations baby in Victoria, Australia, bringing to the forefront social and cultural complexities experienced by many women that need to be considered in programme planning. It is paramount that maternity services partner with First Nations communities to implement culturally secure programmes that respond to the needs of local communities.Copyright © 2023 Australian College of Midwives