Professional Decision Making in Childbirth.

NCT07357064 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 365059
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study is an ethnography of clinician decision making in/during childbirth for medical interventions.

Conditions

Childbirth Problems

Keywords

Childbirth

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Clinician decisions for medical interventions in childbirth.

  This is a qualitative ethnographic study collecting qualitative data from observation and interviews with clinicians about their clinical practice and decisions for (or not for) medical interventions in childbirth. Therefore there are no specific quantitative outcome measures included. However ethnographic data will collate decisions (yes/no for medical interventions in childbirth), and code the rationales underpinning these.

  From enrolment to 6 months

Study Arms (1)

Midwives and obstetricians

Decision making for medical interventions in childbirth

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Maternity clinicians in an NHS maternity unit

You may qualify if:

• Maternity clinicians (midwives and obstetricians, who are the clinical decision makers in childbirth)

You may not qualify if:

• Non maternity clinicians (neonatologists, anaesthetists, maternity support workers, who may be influential to decisions made but are not the accountable decision makers)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• King's College London: lead
• Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

London, London, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Atkinson, P., Coffey, A., Delamont, S., Lofland, J., &Lofland, L. (2009). Handbook of Ethnography. Sage :London. Brocklehurst, P. & Kwee, A. (2011). Perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth for healthy women with low risk pregnancies: the Birthplace in England national prospective cohort study. BMJ 2011: 343: d7400 Coxon, K., Scammell, M.& Alaszewski, A. (2012). Risk, pregnancy and childbirth: What do we currently know and what do we need to know? An editorial. Health, Risk & Society. Vol 14, 2012, Issue 6, pages 503 - 510. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698575.2012.709486 Department of Health & Social Care. (2025). New Maternity Inquiry launched to Drive Improvements. Gov.uk Downe, S. & Kingdon, C. (2025).Caesareans are rising fast in the UK - but giving birth is getting worse for women. The Conversation, January 2025 Gulmezoglu, AM., Lawrie, TA., Hezelgrave, N., et al (2016). Interventions to Reduce Maternal and Newborn Morbidity and Mortality. In R. Black, R. Laxminarayan, & M. Temmerman (Eds) (2016) Maternal, Newborn and Child Health: Disease Control Priorities. 3rd Edition (Vol 2). https://www.ncbi.nih.gov/books/NBK361904/doi:10.1596?978-1-4648-0348-2_ch7 Hammersley, M. & Atkinson, P. (2019). Ethnography: Principles in Practice. Routledge: London and New York Healy, S., Humphreys, E., & Kennedy, C. (2016).Midwives' and obstetricians' perceptions of risk and its impact on clinical decision making in labour: An integrative review. Women and Birth Vol 29, Issue 2, April 2016, pages107 - 116 Healy, S., Humphreys, E., & Kennedy, C. (2017). A qualitative exploration of how midwives' and obstetricians' perception of risk affects care practices for low-risk women and normal birth. Women and Birth Vol 30, Issue 5, October 2017, pages 367-375 James, N.(1984). A postscript to nursing. In Bell, C. & Roberts, H. (Eds.) Social Researching: Politics, Problems, Practice. Routledge: London Kirkup, B. (2015). The Report of the Morecambe Bay Investigation. Indep

  BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Claire Feeley, PhD

  King's College London

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Deborah Naish, MA, MSc

CONTACT

07494028198; deborah.naish@kcl.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: OTHER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 5, 2026
• First Posted: January 21, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Last Updated: January 21, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)