Implementing midwifery services in public tertiary medical college hospitals in Bangladesh: A longitudinal study

Abstract

BackgroundA necessary precursor for quality maternity care provision is high quality education. The quality of care that students are exposed to during clinical education on maternity wards shapes their competencies and professional identities. In this study, we look at the introduction of midwives educated to international standards – with facility mentorship – deployed in tertiary level teaching hospitals in Bangladesh with the intention of improving the use of World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended birth practices. AimTo examine the outcomes of introducing midwifery services into tertiary level care facilities in Bangladesh, on the use of WHO-recommended birth practices. MethodsA retrospective review of patient register data was carried out to understand level of changes in use of WHO-recommended birth practices after the introduction of a midwifery service. Multivariate linear regression was applied using an interrupted time series analysis, with and without a delayed effect, to assess both level and trend change following the introduction of the midwifery service. FindingsA significant increase (p < 0.001) in use of WHO-recommended birth practices was found, both immediately following the midwives’ introduction and after one year. Quality improvement was observed not only in births attended by midwives, but also in those attended by doctors and nurses. ConclusionBy introducing quality maternity care provision through midwives in clinical sites, especially in tertiary-level care hospitals with large numbers of students, international standard midwives can improve the quality of clinical education in maternity wards, a critical priority for maternal health worldwide.