Childbearing women's experiences of the maternity care system in Australia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Linda Sweet, Alyce N Wilson, Zoe Bradfield and 6 others
PMID 34535423WHAT IT FOUND
Women described telehealth maternity care as impersonal and incomplete because it could not replace physical checks.
Support-person and visitor limits were distressing, while continuity with a known provider helped them feel reassured.
Key findings
01Women described telehealth maternity appointments as impersonal and incomplete because physical assessments were missing.
02Women giving birth in hospital reported concern, fear, or disappointment when their chosen support person could not be present.
03Continuity of care with a known provider reassured women and gave them a line of contact.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The women were selected from a self-reported survey pool, not randomly sampled. Only English-language interviews were conducted, so non-English-speaking women were not included. The study covered only the early pandemic period in Australia, when rules varied across states and territories. Only women were interviewed, not support people or health professionals.
Declared interests
Deakin University provided financial support. Some named authors had editorial duties with the journal, but none had a role in processing or peer review of this paper.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that telehealth or support restrictions caused harm, or as evidence that continuity improves outcomes. They are the reported experiences of a small purposive sample of women during an early pandemic period.