Understanding the perceptions of safety during labour and birth.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the perceptions of safety during labour and birth: A grounded theory study with women, birth partners and midwives in the UK.
IRAS ID
254364
Contact name
Stephen William Hogarth
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, days
Research summary
Background: In recent decades, quality of care and safety in UK hospitals have become increasingly of interest to patients, rather than professional/regulatory bodies and government. It appears that little is known about women’s/birth partners and midwives views of safety needs in maternity care and these should be addressed due to a lack of understanding.
Aim: To explore and understand how safety relating to labour and birth is perceived by women/ birth partners/midwives and for a theory to emerge to understand these perceptions to help to improve care.
Sample: A purposive sample of women, birth partners and midwives will seek to generate information about perceptions of safety during labour and birth. It is predicted that the purposive sample will include ten participants:
• Two pregnant women
• Two birth partners
• Two midwives from a labour ward
• Two midwives from a midwifery-led unit.
• Two midwives from a community home births.
Further sampling will be theoretical, based upon the analysis of data. Theoretical sampling involves further data collection and will assist in analysis of developing conceptual thoughts and clarification until no new information is generated.
Interviews will be the method of enquiry that will assist in the understanding of the perceptions of women, birth partners and midwives, prior to theory development.
Analysis: Data analysis is an inductive process through constantly gathering evidence and comparing data in seeking patterns in developing theory Data analysis is reviewing data and making constant comparisons. Coding of the data is a three-stage process, initial, focused and theoretical. Codes emerge from the data and are given names to account for their contribution through coding, line by line. During this time, constant comparisons of codes and data continue. Following this, focused coding is a process of selecting commonly used initial codes to help to sort, synthesise and categorise data.REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SW/0163
Date of REC Opinion
30 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion