Primigravid women in birth centre care: The real story of one birth centre

Abstract

Evidence based health care has been defined as the ‘conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.’ However, evidence based health care can be difficult to perform for a number of reasons; including the absence of critically appraised and summarised information, and the lack of tools and resources to implement evidence into practice. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) has a well-established reputation in the area of evidence-based clinical decision support and clinical practice improvement andhas provided a resourcewhich assists users to summarise, disseminate and utilise the best evidence available. This resource is the online tool JBICOnNECT+. The need for midwives to access independent advice on the effectiveness, appropriateness and cost benefits of specific health and care interventions; and to implement evidence and evaluate its impact has long been recognized. Content for the Midwifery Node is available through the online resource JBI COnNECT+. Content is developed by research fellowswithin the Joanna Briggs Institute, as well as collaborating midwifery members from international reference groups. Following creation, resources are peer reviewed by research fellows within JBI and the midwifery reference groups. The Expert Reference Group meet by teleconference to discuss the node and sign off on resources. Results: The resources created thus far includes: Evidence Summaries: 2–3page documents summarising the existent literature on acertain topic, based on a structured search. Evidence based procedures/policies reviewed and approved by reference groups. These can also be grouped to create Practicemanuals. Audit topics and criteria based on thebest available evidence andapprovedbyanExpert Reference Group.Consumer InformationPamphlets: Evidencebased information for consumers of midwifery care. The Midwifery Node of JBI COnNECT+ is designed for, and readily accessible to midwives and women. The resources enhance the ability of midwives to provide consistent and appropriate care, while reducing the risk of clinical adverse events. The resources also facilitate staff training and continuousimprovement within the midwifery field.