Women’s suggestions on how to improve the quality of maternal and newborn care - A qualitative analysis from the IMAgiNE EURO survey in Italy during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by Liam

Women’s suggestions on improving the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) were analyzed from an open-ended question within a validated online questionnaire given to mothers who delivered in an Italian hospital between November 2020 and March 2022. Thematic analysis identified five key themes, including postnatal support, better resource use, improvements to the maternity environment, reconsideration of organization, and respectful practices. Findings aligned with WHO standards across most domains and inform Italy’s QMNC quality improvement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

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Research paper European Journal of Midwifery Women’s suggestions on how to improve the quality of maternal and newborn care: A qualitative analysis from the IMAgiNE EURO survey in Italy during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic Simona Fumagalli1,2, Antonella Nespoli1,2, Laura Iannuzzi3, Ilaria Mariani4, Emanuelle Pessa Valente4, Marzia Lazzerini4 ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Collecting women’s views and suggestions for improving quality of maternal–newborn care (QMNC) is a crucial aspect of maternity care evaluation often overlooked in Italy and globally. Childbearing women experienced numerous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic including the rapid and significant reorganization of maternity services and care. Their perspective on what to prioritize for QMNC improvement is hence pivotal. The aim of this study was to explore maternal suggestions for QMNC improvement from women who gave birth during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Data were collected from an open-ended question included in a validated online questionnaire administered to mothers who gave birth in an Italian hospital between November 2020 to March 2022. The responses were analyzed using thematic analysis and mapped against the WHO Standards for improving QMNC and the WHO Framework of QMNC. RESULTS The thematic analysis identified five main themes from the 2017 responses: 1) Support for mothers during the postnatal period; 2) Better use of resources; 3) Improvement of the maternity environment; 4) Reconsideration of organizational aspects; and 5) Guarantee of respectful practices. Women commented on all dimensions of the WHO framework except for two provision of care subdomains ‘actionable information and functional referral systems’. CONCLUSIONS This is the first qualitative study in Italy focusing on women’s suggestions for improving QMNC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its findings can be used to inform what aspects of QMNC need improvement in Italy. Collection of women’s views should be incorporated in routine monitoring of the QMNC, and data should be used for quality improvement purposes. Eur J Midwifery 2024;8(October):62 [https://doi.org/10.18332/ejm/192143](https://doi.org/10.18332/ejm/192143) INTRODUCTION The WHO (2019) recognized quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) as a key determinant of maternal and newborn health outcomes, of health services expenditures, and a crucial aspect of application of human rights1. The service users’ perspective is pivotal for improving healthcare services as they can offer better insights on all the dimensions of QMNC provided including safety, efficiency, effectiveness, timeliness, equity, and people-centered care2,3 . However, despite the need to include mothers and families’perspectives within health services planning4,5, women’s voices and views on the QMNC received are not necessarily collected. Several studies conducted in the pre-pandemic period6,7 offered insights on what women want in relation to QMNC across countries. In a recent study, Lazzerini et al.8 identified the following as key suggestions from Italian mothers for QMNC improvement: ensuring the presence of a companion of the woman’s choice during birth and throughout hospitalization, improving hospital spaces, increasing staffing, ensuring effective communication, professionalism, empathy, support, and enhancing newborn care AFFILIATION 1 School of Medicine and Surgery, University of MilanoBicocca, Monza, Italy 2 Department of Obstetrics, Foundation IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza, Italy 3 Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom 4 WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy CORRESPONDENCE TO Simona Fumagalli. School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, 20900, Monza, Italy. E-mail: simona.fumagalli@ [un

FAQs

What was the study’s aim regarding QMNC improvements?

To explore women’s suggestions for improving maternal and newborn care (QMNC) from mothers who gave birth during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How were the data collected and analyzed?

Data came from an open-ended question in a validated online questionnaire administered to mothers in an Italian hospital (Nov 2020 to Mar 2022). Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis and mapped to WHO QMNC standards and frameworks.

What five themes emerged from the women’s suggestions?

Support for mothers during the postnatal period; better use of resources; improvement of the maternity environment; reconsideration of organizational aspects; and guarantee of respectful practices.

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by Liam