Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39431577›Full record

Observational studyActa obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica2024

Trends in the quality of maternal and neonatal care in Sweden and Norway as compared to 12 WHO European countries: A cross-sectional survey investigating maternal perspectives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mehreen Zaigham, Karolina Linden, Helen Elden, Stefano Delle Vedove, Ilaria Mariani, Sigrun Kongslien, Daniela Drandić, Elizabete Pumpure, Zalka Drglin, Raquel Costa and 30 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readComparative StudyObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04847336 (IMAGINE EURO), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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.

NCT04847336 unknown statusnot on this map

IMAGINE EURO (Improving MAternal Newborn carE In the EURO Region): Maternal and Newborn Health Service Preparedness, Quality and Resilience, Among Countries of the WHO European Region, During the COVID-19 Pandemic

TypeobservationalSponsorWHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, TriesteRan2020 to 2022Enrolled10,000ConditionsQuality of Care During ChildbirthArmsNo intervention is planned
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Observational
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

40 authors.

Mehreen ZaighamObstetrics and Gynecology, Institution of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0129-1578
Karolina LindenInstitute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2792-3142
Helen EldenInstitute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0000-0476
Stefano Delle VedoveWHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.ORCID 0009-0002-7198-6535
Ilaria MarianiWHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
Sigrun KongslienDepartment of Health and Care Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Daniela DrandićRoda-Parents in Action, Zagreb, Croatia.
Elizabete PumpureRīga Stradiņš University, Rīga, Latvia.ORCID 0000-0002-3419-6430
Zalka DrglinNational Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia.ORCID 0009-0001-1805-7668
Raquel CostaLaboratory for Integrative and Translational Investigation in Population Health (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Antigoni SarantakiDepartment of Midwifery, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece.
Claire de LabrusseSchool of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Céline MianiDepartment of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
Marina Ruxandra OțeleaUniversity of Medicine and Phramacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania.
Alina LiepinaitienėDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Barbara BaranowskaDepartment of Midwifery, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland.
Virginie RozéeSexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Institut national d'études démographiques, Aubervilliers, France.ORCID 0000-0003-0288-982X
Emanuelle Pessa ValenteWHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
Eline Skirnisdottir VikDepartment of Health and Care Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway.
Magdalena KurbanovićDepartment of Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
Dārta JakovickaRīga Stradiņš University, Rīga, Latvia.
Anja BohinecNational Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Heloísa DiasRegional Health Administration of the Algarve (ARS Algarve, IP), Faro, Portugal.
Dimitra MetallinouDepartment of Midwifery, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece.
Antonia N MuellerResearch Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Stephanie Batram-ZantvoortDepartment of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
Claudia Mariana HandraUniversity of Medicine and Phramacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania.
Marija MizgaitienėKaunas Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Urszula Tataj-PuzynaDepartment of Midwifery, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland.
Arianna BombenWHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
Ingvild Hersoug NedbergDepartment of Health and Care Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-5202-195X
Elīna VoitehovičaRīga Stradiņš University, Rīga, Latvia.
Tiago Miguel PintoHEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Laboratory, Universidade Lusófona, Lisbon, Portugal.
Aikaterini LykeridouDepartment of Midwifery, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece.
Susanne Grylka-BaeschlinResearch Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Simona JazdauskienėHospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno klinikos, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Beata SzlendakDepartment of Midwifery, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland.
Emma SacksDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Marzia LazzeriniWHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-8608-2198
IMAgiNE EURO Study group

Funding

Ministry of Health, Rome - Italy, in collaboration with the Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste - ItalyPortuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher EducationSwedish governmental funding of clinical research ALF YF00054 (MZ)Vetenskapsrådet 2022-00208 (MZ)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMaternal-neonatal healthcare services were severely disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic in even high-income countries within the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. The objective of this study was to compare trends in the quality of maternal and neonatal care (QMNC) in Sweden and Norway to 12 other countries from the WHO European Region during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify domains for improvement. MATERIAL AND

methodsThis cross-sectional study included women giving birth in Europe from March 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022. Women answered an online, anonymous questionnaire which included 40 WHO Standard-based Quality Measures collectively scored as the total QMNC index (0-400) and separately in four subdomains (0-100): provision of care, experience of care, availability of human and physical resources, and reorganizational changes due to COVID-19. To assess reported QMNC changes over time, we used adjusted quantile regression models. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier: NCT04847336.

resultsOf the 45151 women included in the study, 13 117 (29.1%) were from Sweden and Norway and 32034 (70.9%) from the 12 WHO European countries. The total QMNC index for Sweden and Norway (median: 325, IQR: 285-355) was higher than the 12 WHO European countries (median: 315, IQR: 265-350, p < 0.001) as were trends in QMNC index over time (Sweden and Norway median: 310-345; 12 WHO European countries median: 305-340). Sweden and Norway also had higher scores in three-of-four QMNC subdomains, with the 12 WHO European countries scoring higher only for reorganizational changes due to COVID-19. In adjusted quantile models of the total QMNC index, Sweden and Norway had higher scores, with largest differences in the lower quantiles (p < 0.001 in all percentiles).

conclusionsAcross Europe, there are significant gaps in the quality of maternal-neonatal healthcare services. Although women giving birth in Sweden and Norway reported higher QMNC scores in all subdomains except for "reorganizational changes due to COVID-19," there is room for improvement and shared learning across Europe. Policymakers should prioritize long-term investments in maternal and neonatal healthcare, ensuring that facilities are adequately equipped during public health crises and that all women have access to high-quality, evidence-based, equitable, and respectful care.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsSARS-CoV-2AdultCross-Sectional StudiesEuropeFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornMaternal Health ServicesNorwayPregnancyQuality of Health CareSurveys and QuestionnairesSwedenWorld Health OrganizationchildbirthCOVID‐19European regionmaternalmaternity carenewbornNorwayquality of carequestionnaireScandinaviasurveySwedentime trend analysisWHO standards

Identifiers

PMID39431577
PMCPMC11610009

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Registered trials

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.