Table 5 Categories and case factors elicited from critical incident technique interviews (frequency in the 160 cases described)
Category | Case factors | Â |
|---|---|---|
Mother | Fetus/ Baby | pre-birth condition (45); fetal heart rate (63); meconium (30) fetal size (11) post-birth condition (19); Strep B (5) other (9) |
Clinical (mother) | blood loss – pre/post birth (44); blood pressure (38); obstetric history (32); pain/analgesia (47); progress in labour (123); other (32) | |
Physical | parity (116); general condition (62); gestation; (41); age (8); BMI (11), other (39) | |
Psychosocial | attitude (30); coping (33); preference (53); planned place of birth (15) | |
Family | father’s attitude / state (10); logistic problems (3); other children (3) | |
Context | Judged time available (23) | Â |
Logistic factors | transfer time (69), geography (10) weather (9) time of day (42), transfer problems (36) | |
Service | Guidelines (48) | Â |
Midwifery | awareness of impact on local area (3); decision making (16) past experience (46); fear of litigation (8); psychosocial (135) | |
Midwife led Unit | staff cover (31); maintaining viability of unit/costs (9) | |
| Â | Receiving Unit | attitude / communication (32); capacity / resources (10); medicalisation (4); opinion of others (16) |