A Menu of Change

Introduction



There are many ways providers and care settings can support physiologic birth to improve maternal and newborn outcomes. Some hospitals have already undertaken quality improvements, like eliminating early elective deliveries or routine separation of mothers and infants after birth, and want to build on these successes to make more improvements. Other hospitals may not have a strong culture of quality improvement in areas that relate to physiologic birth, and are searching for a place to start.

Change can be easier and results sustained longer when improvement teams change one set of processes at a time. To learn more about improvement cycles, visit A Framework for Quality Improvement.

Historically, maternity care practices have changed when clients have added their voices to the issue at hand.  Many clients prefer to be involved in decision-making, and studies show that satisfaction with their experience in childbirth is linked to being an active partner in decision-making, without feeling coerced, independent of birth outcome. (DeClercq, et al., 2013). Clients' voices about their experiences contribute to the promotion of evidenced-based care and to the rejection of harmful practices. To learn more about shared decision-making, see Promoting Shared Decision-Making.

Each area of this Menu of Change will give you the evidence-based information and improvement tools your team needs to make progress toward protecting, promoting, and supporting physiologic birth in your care setting.

Inside
A Menu of Change:



 

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