Midwifery continuity of care: potentiality of midwives adherence to the new model of care

Background: The midwifery continuity of care is gaining more attention, and the WHO recommends the use of its models to provide antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care in a setting where effective midwifery programme exists. However, in many countries, implementation of continuity of care model has been challenging for midwives. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the potentiality of midwives adherence to midwifery continuity of care as a new model of care. Method: The research is descriptive that adopted cross-sectional design. The population of the study was the midwives serving in antenatal clinic (ANC), maternity and labour units. The instrument for data collection was researcher made, self-administered questionnaire. Census sampling was used in taking the entire midwives of the units as the subjects of the study. The results of the study were presented in frequencies and percentages, with Chi-square as a statistical tool for inferential analysis. Results: Generally, 46.3% of the respondents were having good potentiality, 44.8% were having poor potentiality, and only 9.0% were having very good potentiality. 56.7% of the respondents with 0-5 years of experience were having poor potentiality, in contrast with 27.3% in respondents with >15 years of experience. 34.6% and 53.7% of the respondents that were midwives and those that were nurse-midwives in specialty respectively were having good potentiality to MCC adherence. There is no significant association between respondents‟ years of experience and their potentiality to MCC adherence, P > 0.05. There is no significant association between respondents‟ specialty and their potentiality to MCC adherence, P > 0.05.
Conclusion: The respondents of this study had a moderate potentiality to MCC adherence. The possibility of midwives adherence to MCC can be improved if it is introduced into the system with some modifications and flexibilities; and when the midwives realise its positive impact on maternal and new-born health.