Experiences of maternity care among women at increased risk of preterm birth receiving midwifery continuity of care compared to women receiving standard care: Results from the POPPIE pilot trial

Turienzo, Cristina Fernandez, Silverio, Sergio A ORCID: 0000-0001-7177-3471, Coxon, Kirstie, Brigante, Lia, Seed, Paul T, Shennan, Andrew H and Sandall, Jane (2021) Experiences of maternity care among women at increased risk of preterm birth receiving midwifery continuity of care compared to women receiving standard care: Results from the POPPIE pilot trial PLOS ONE, 16 (4). e0248588-. ISSN 1932-6203, 1932-6203

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Abstract

Background Midwifery continuity of care models for women at low and mixed risk of complications have been shown to improve women’s experiences of care. However, there is limited research on care experiences among women at increased risk of preterm birth. We aimed to explore the experiences of care among women with risk factors for preterm birth participating in a pilot trial (POPPIE) of a midwifery continuity of care model which included a specialist obstetric clinic. Methods A total of 334 pregnant women identified at increased risk of preterm birth were randomly allocated to either midwifery continuity of care (POPPIE group) or standard maternity care. Women in both groups were followed up at six-to-eight weeks postpartum and were invited to complete a postnatal survey either online or by post. An equal status exploratory sequential mixed method design was chosen to collect and analyse the quantitative postnatal survey data and qualitative interviews data. The postnatal survey included measures of social support, trust, perceptions of safety, quality of care, control during childbirth, bonding and quality of life. Categorical data were analysed with chi-squared tests and continuous data were analysed with t-tests and/or Mann-Whitney U test to measure differences in measures scores among groups. The qualitative interview data were subjected to a thematic framework analysis. Data triangulation brought quantitative and qualitative data together at the interpretation stage.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	POPPIE Collaborative Group, Humans, Premature Birth, Postnatal Care, Prenatal Care, Risk Factors, Pilot Projects, Obstetrics, Maternal-Child Nursing, Midwifery, Pregnancy, Quality of Life, Adult, Maternal Health Services, Patient Satisfaction, Continuity of Patient Care, Female, Surveys and Questionnaires, United Kingdom, Pregnant People
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	20 Jul 2021 09:36
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 09:23
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0248588
Open Access URL:	http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248588
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3130688
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