Measuring harm-free care in childbirth: a pilot application of the maternity safety thermometer in Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36311/jhgd.v32.13228Keywords:
Hospitals, Maternity, Patient Safety, Outcome Assessment, Health CareAbstract
Introduction: In Brazil, interventions during labor and childbirth are harmful and, for the most part, unnecessary. In addition, there is a high prevalence of abuse and disrespect for women and babies during this period.
Objective: To describe the prevalence of maternal and neonatal harm and harm-free care in a Brazilian maternity setting.
Methods: Pilot application of the Portuguese version of Maternal Safety Thermometer (MST) by a cross-sectional study in a public setting. Data collection was made at two timepoints.
Results: 140 women were included. Over 84% of women had a postpartum sutured wound, resulting from a caesarean section, an episiotomy, or a perineal trauma. Puerperal infection, especially on a caesarean wound, was the most frequent physical harm. Women’s perception of safety, including being left alone in labour, and feeling their safety concerns were not taken seriously, decreased from 80.6% to 43.3% in the second timepoint. Using the MST helped to improve the quality of medical records since critical information about a patient’s health status was not properly recorded, or even absent.
Conclusion: MST is a concise tool and includes indicators related to harm-free care in a short time range. However, this study suggests that the MST can underestimate harm if it is used alone to assess harm-free care in maternities with excessive levels of intervention, and poor reporting of harms (i.e., blood loss), as in most Brazilian settings.
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Copyright (c) 2022 Alonso BD, Niy DY, Aguiar CA, Fonseca EL, Sandall J, Diniz CSG
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