Table 2 Summary characteristics of studies (Review 1)
Study | Study country | Midwifery setting | Study aim | Study design | Analysis methods | Number of participating midwives | Total Risk of Bias within study |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barber et al (phase 1). 2006 [15] | UK | Two NHS Trusts, each with obstetric units, alongside and free-standing maternity led units and homebirth services. | To identify factors that influence women’s decisions about where to give birth. | Qualitative. Focus groups with midwives. | Thematic analysis. | 16 | High |
Davis et al. 2010 [16] | New Zealand | Case-loading midwives, so move between home to hospital. | To explore the way case-loading midwives construct midwifery and to examine their practice within the obstetric hospital | Qualitative, in-depth interviews. | Thematic analysis. | 48 | High |
Feminist, post-structuralist framework. | |||||||
Lavender et al. 2004 [17] | UK | 14 sites, comprising home birth settings, free-standing midwifery-led units, alongside midwifery-led units and obstetric units. | To explore the views of midwives working in maternity services, in relation to birth setting, models of care and philosophy of care. | Qualitative. Focus groups with midwives. | Thematic analysis. | 126 | Low |
Appreciative inquiry. | |||||||
RCM, 2011 [18] | UK (97 %, n = 536) and outside of UK (3 %, n = 17) | Community, integrated community and hospital setting, midwifery led units, hospital obstetric unit and other settings. | To gain a national picture of midwives’ current thinking about home birth practice and to identify areas of concern by midwives and any education and practice needs in this area. | Quantitative. Online survey. | Descriptive statistics. | 553 | High |
Vedam et al. 2009 [19] | North America | Urban centres, rural areas and a mixture of both settings. | To describe the attitudes and experiences of midwives toward planned home birth and to explore evidence-based correlates and predictors of their attitudes toward planned home birth. | Quantitative. Online and paper survey. | Descriptive statistics; correlation analysis. | 1893 | High |
Vedam et al. 2012 [20] | Canada | Registered midwives working in any setting. | To describe educational, practice and personal experiences related to home birth among obstetricians, family physicians, and registered midwives; to identify barriers to provision of planned home birth services and examine inter-professional differences in attitudes towards planned home birth. | Quantitative. Online survey. | Descriptive statistics; correlation analysis. | 451 | High |