Mothers’ perceptions of informed consent during labour

Abstract

Informed consent is a fundamental process in maternity care that ensures women’s rights to make informed choices about their care, directly impacting their birthing experience and overall satisfaction. A gap in research related to this subject has been noted. Hence, this study aims to examine mothers' perceptions of the informed consent process during labour in Malta’s national hospital. The objectives of this study are to identify mothers' knowledge of the consent process, to assess whether mothers are adequately informed and prepared for labour during the antenatal period and to investigate mothers’ encounters with healthcare providers when obtaining informed consent. A quantitative research approach will be adopted, utilising a one-time, self-designed, self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Convenience sampling will be used to recruit 120 eligible mothers who have given birth to a healthy infant at term gestation and will be in the two postnatal obstetric wards of Malta's main public hospital at the time of data collection. A pilot study will be conducted prior to data collection to test the research process. The close-ended data will be analysed using descriptive statistics and presented through percentages and visual diagrams. Open-ended responses will be subjected to content analysis, organising the data into themes. Women’s ability to make autonomous decisions is derived from the information sought out during pregnancy and labour. This study is anticipated to provide insights into mothers' views of the informed consent process and whether they were able to make autonomous decisions regarding interventions during labour. It also seeks to highlight potential gaps in the current informed consent procedures within the local hospital setting. The findings will contribute to evidence-based research and potentially to the development of policies and guidelines that promote autonomy and improve the informed consent process.