Abstract
Background
Maternal satisfaction with maternity care is an important indicator of quality maternity
services. Continuity of midwifery models of care are increasing in Australia and while
several instruments have been developed to measure satisfaction with maternity care
most of these have not been validated and there are none that are appropriate to continuity
of midwifery maternity care models.
Aim
To develop a questionnaire to measure women’s satisfaction with maternity services
provided in a continuity of midwifery care service model.
Methods
A modified Delphi technique was used. A heterogenous panel of eight experts provided
feedback over four rounds. The starting point for the questionnaire was informed by
two systematic literature reviews focusing on available instruments for measuring
maternal satisfaction with maternity care and what women value continuity of midwifery
models of care.
Findings
The Continuity of Midwifery Care Satisfaction Survey (COMcareSS) was developed after
four rounds of feedback with the expert panel. The survey comprises nine domains and
fifty-nine questions. The domains include demographics, maternity care outcomes, facilities,
the midwife/woman relationship, building capacity-empowerment, decision making and
involvement, personalised care, advice care and support and general.
Conclusions
Consumer satisfaction is an important indicator of quality care. This is the first
instrument to be developed that is appropriate to continuity of midwifery models of
care. The important next step is to pilot test the instrument to establish its validity
and reliability.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 16, 2021
Accepted:
January 7,
2021
Received in revised form:
November 16,
2020
Received:
June 28,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
