Herminia Biescas1, Marta Benet2, Maria J Pueyo3, Anna Rubio4, Margarita Pla5, Mercedes Pérez-Botella6, Ramón Escuriet7. 1. General Directorate for Health Planning, Ministry of Health of Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: hbiescas@gencat.cat. 2. Inclusive Societies, Policies and Communities Research Group, Faculty of Health and Welfare Sciences, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: marta.benet@uvic.cat. 3. General Directorate for Health Planning, Ministry of Health of Catalonia, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, Spain. Electronic address: mjpueyo@gencat.cat. 4. General Directorate for Health Planning, Ministry of Health of Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: arubio@catsalut.cat. 5. University of Barcelona, Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Perinatal Nursing, Inclusive Societies, Policies and Communities Research Group, Spain. Electronic address: m.pla@ub.edu. 6. University of Central Lancashire, School of Community Health and Midwifery, Brook Building, 222, Preston PR1 2HE, UK. Electronic address: Mperez-botella1@uclan.ac.uk. 7. General Directorate for Health Planning, Ministry of Health of Catalonia, Mar School of Nursing, University Pompeu Fabra, Travessera de les Corts 131-159, Pavelló Ave Maria, Barcelona 08028, Spain. Electronic address: rescuriet@gencat.cat.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The birth plan allows the woman to express her expectations and needs with regards to the childbearing continuum but its use has been debated in the clinical context and in published literature. The birth plan was first introduced in the Spanish Health Service in 2008 through the Strategy for the Care in Normal Childbirth. In Catalonia, the Normal Childbirth Care Programme has promoted the use of birth plans in hospitals participating in this Programme. OBJECTIVE: This works describes and analyses the birth plans produced by the participating hospitals in order to gather knowledge about the options available to women. METHOD: Qualitative study in which the content of birth plans is systematically and quantitatively described in order to evaluate options available to women. The final sample includes all the birth plans provided by 30 Catalonian public hospitals. Following an initial assessment, it was decided to devise a grading scale which allowed to code and assign a value to each of the items contained in the birth plans. RESULTS: Three different types of birth plan are identified: a) those which present a list of items with no (or very little) associated explanations, b) list of items with some explanations and c) plans without items which only explain normal working practices in the hospital and/or protocols.
INTRODUCTION: The birth plan allows the woman to express her expectations and needs with regards to the childbearing continuum but its use has been debated in the clinical context and in published literature. The birth plan was first introduced in the Spanish Health Service in 2008 through the Strategy for the Care in Normal Childbirth. In Catalonia, the Normal Childbirth Care Programme has promoted the use of birth plans in hospitals participating in this Programme. OBJECTIVE: This works describes and analyses the birth plans produced by the participating hospitals in order to gather knowledge about the options available to women. METHOD: Qualitative study in which the content of birth plans is systematically and quantitatively described in order to evaluate options available to women. The final sample includes all the birth plans provided by 30 Catalonian public hospitals. Following an initial assessment, it was decided to devise a grading scale which allowed to code and assign a value to each of the items contained in the birth plans. RESULTS: Three different types of birth plan are identified: a) those which present a list of items with no (or very little) associated explanations, b) list of items with some explanations and c) plans without items which only explain normal working practices in the hospital and/or protocols.