EQUIBIRTH project: what works, for whom and in what circumstances when it comes to improving choice, informed consent and respect for individuals from ethnic minority communities accessing maternity care. A realist review and realist evaluation
Maternity services
The interventions used to test the programme theories will be co-developed as part of the project and will depend upon the realist programme theories selected in work programme two. The project has three parts: Work Programme 1 (WP1): Realist Review Review existing studies to find and test theories that explain how and why different changes work, who benefits, and under what conditions. Work Programme 2 (WP2): Co-development and testing of acceptability and feasibility Work with communities to design and refine resources that test the chosen theories. Check if these resources and approaches are acceptable and practical. Work Programme 3 (WP3): Realist Evaluation Use case studies in different settings to test the theories. Collect data through interviews, observations, surveys, and patient-reported outcomes. Realist methods will be used because they explain how and why programmes work and what conditions support success. Case studies allow in-depth research in real-life settings. What does taking part involve? The study involves different activities. Participants can take part in one activity, or more than one. The activities include: 1. Focus groups 2. Workshops 3. Interviews 4. Observations of health care encounters 5. Online survey 6. Completion of patient-reported outcome measures (short surveys) Data analysis: Qualitative data will be used to explore quantitative findings, and quantitative data will be used to test hypotheses generated from qualitative data. A realist logic of analysis will be applied to examine context–mechanism–outcome relationships and refine programme theory, using Pawson’s analytic techniques. Qualitative data will also be analysed thematically. Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive statistics, with Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts used to assess changes in PROMs over time.
1. From one of the following populations: Service users: Individuals from any of the following ethnic communities: 1. Black (this may include individuals who identify as having a British, African, Caribbean or different heritage) 2. Asian (this may include individuals who identify as Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese or a different heritage) 3. Mixed race (e.g., individuals with mixed heritage, e.g., Asian and White), or 4. Identify as belonging to another ethnic minority community not mentioned above, e.g., Arab or Kurdish AND 5. Are accessing or have accessed NHS maternity care Additional stakeholders: 1. Healthcare professionals who work with women from ethnic minority communities who are accessing/have accessed NHS maternity care 2. Individuals who have a management or leadership role in healthcare at an institutional, regional or national level e.g., you may work for a Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) or an Integrated Care Board 3. Representatives from charities or organisations that works with, support or represents individuals from ethnic minority communities who may access or have accessed NHS maternity care 2. Aged 16 years and over 3. Able to provide informed consent
Does not meet the inclusion criteria