Intrapartum risk perception-A qualitative exploration of factors affecting the risk perception of midwives and obstetricians in the clinical setting

Objective: to gain an in-depth view of the specific risk perception of midwives and obstetricians, in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the situations which midwives and obstetricians perceive as risky and of the factors affecting their risk perception. Design: a qualitative approach using focus group discussions was used as part of the first strand within a sequential explorative mixed methods project.Participants: 24 midwives and obstetricians providing labour care in the clinical setting Analysis: according to qualitative content analysis.Findings: both external and internal factors were identified which potentially influence the risk perception of midwives and obstetricians: (i) the individual perception of the obstetric health professional, (ii) the dyad of obstetric health professional & woman, (iii) being part of a team and (iv) being part of an institution. While risk definitions/classifications and obstetric risk factors were less common topics, structural and organisational factors, such as lack of staff and excessive workload, dominated the discussions about risky situations in the delivery room.Key conclusion: Obstetric health professionals' risk perception is multifactorial and risky situations in the delivery room can be described as a complex construct of various factors. The results suggest that there are different forms of risk perception and different factors which are perceived as risky. Implications for practice: Reflection on one's own role and actions should be included in the training of obstetric professionals and also be maintained in everyday professional life.(c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )