How Woman-Centred Care Is Experienced and Understood in Maternity Services by Women and Professionals: A Rapid Review.
Soma Gregory, Louise Caffrey, Deirdre Daly and 1 others
PMID 40637288WHAT IT FOUND
Women and maternity professionals understood woman-centred care very differently.
Some women valued choice and continuity, while others prioritised warmth, safety, and medical expertise. Clarify each woman's expectations rather than assuming one model fits all.
Key findings
01Women's understandings of woman-centred care varied; some prioritised friendly interpersonal behaviours and medical attention, and did not mention involvement in decision-making or control.
02Professionals also disagreed about what woman-centred care means, and some midwives viewed women leading care decisions as impractical or unsafe.
03Women consistently valued continuity of care, but some UK midwives questioned whether assigning a named midwife would automatically improve care quality.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only English-language studies were included, so relevant research in other languages may have been missed. The review focused on high-income OECD countries, so findings may not transfer to other maternity systems. It combined primary studies and secondary analyses, including concept analyses, policy reviews, and integrative reviews, so evidence types were heterogeneous. Only one included study involved all stakeholders, women and professionals together. Only 10% of records underwent double screening and double extraction, and only 10% of studies were double-appraised. Some studies did not report data collection dates, and the MMAT was not applicable to five papers.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that woman-centred care means every woman wants maximum choice and control. The review found women's expectations varied, and some prioritised warm interpersonal care, safety, language proficiency, and medical expertise over decision-making or control.