Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38822258›Full record

ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2024

Women's experiences of disrespect and abuse in Swiss facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative analysis of an open-ended question in the IMAgiNE EURO study.

Alessia Abderhalden-Zellweger, Claire de Labrusse, Michael Gemperle, Susanne Grylka-Baeschlin, Anouck Pfund, Antonia N Mueller, Ilaria Mariani, Emanuelle Pessa Valente, Marzia Lazzerini

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Experiences of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in the World Health Organization European region: A mixed-method study among 22 countries.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Alessia Abderhalden-ZellwegerSchool of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Avenue de Beaumont 21, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland. alessia.zellweger@hesav.ch.
Claire de LabrusseSchool of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Avenue de Beaumont 21, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Michael GemperleResearch Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Susanne Grylka-BaeschlinResearch Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Anouck PfundSchool of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Avenue de Beaumont 21, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Antonia N MuellerResearch Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Ilaria MarianiWHO Collaborating Center for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternaland , Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
Emanuelle Pessa ValenteWHO Collaborating Center for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternaland , Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
Marzia LazzeriniWHO Collaborating Center for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternaland , Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the provision of maternal care. The IMAgiNE EURO study investigates the Quality of Maternal and Newborn Care during the pandemic in over 20 countries, including Switzerland.

aimThis study aims to understand women's experiences of disrespect and abuse in Swiss health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsData were collected via an anonymous online survey on REDCap®. Women who gave birth between March 2020 and March 2022 and answered an open-ended question in the IMAgiNE EURO questionnaire were included in the study. A qualitative thematic analysis of the women's comments was conducted using the International Confederation of Midwives' RESPECT toolkit as a framework for analysis.

findingsThe data source for this study consisted of 199 comments provided by women in response to the open-ended question in the IMAgiNE EURO questionnaire. Analysis of these comments revealed clear patterns of disrespect and abuse in health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. These patterns include non-consensual care, with disregard for women's choices and birth preferences; undignified care, characterised by disrespectful attitudes and a lack of empathy from healthcare professionals; and feelings of abandonment and neglect, including denial of companionship during childbirth and separation from newborns. Insufficient organisational and human resources in health facilities were identified as contributing factors to disrespectful care. Empathic relationships with healthcare professionals were reported to be the cornerstone of positive experiences. DISCUSSION: Swiss healthcare facilities showed shortcomings related to disrespect and abuse in maternal care. The pandemic context may have brought new challenges that compromised certain aspects of respectful care. The COVID-19 crisis also acted as a magnifying glass, potentially revealing and exacerbating pre-existing gaps and structural weaknesses within the healthcare system, including understaffing.

conclusionsThese findings should guide advocacy efforts, urging policy makers and health facilities to allocate adequate resources to ensure respectful and high-quality maternal care during pandemics and beyond.

Indexed as

COVID-19Maternal Health ServicesQualitative ResearchAdultAttitude of Health PersonnelFemaleHumansPregnancyProfessional-Patient RelationsQuality of Health CareRespectSARS-CoV-2Surveys and QuestionnairesSwitzerlandCOVID-19 pandemicDisrespect and abuse in maternity careMaternal health servicesPerinatal careQuality of careSwitzerland

Identifiers

PMID38822258
PMCPMC11143635

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.