Table 1 Ranking of 10 research avenues related to World Health Organization Labour Care Guide (WHO LCG): results of the online scoring survey (phase 2)
Initial ranking | Initial theme | Initial research avenue | Average score* |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Implementation research | What are the facilitators and barriers to implementing the WHO LCG with high fidelity among different cadres, levels of care and settings? | 2.63 |
2 | Process of care | What is the effect of the WHO LCG on the provision of supportive care (e.g., companionship, mobility) and the use of clinical interventions (e.g., caesarean section, augmentation of labour, amniotomy, instrumental delivery, foetal monitoring, cervical dilatation monitoring) during labour and childbirth? | 2.61 |
3 | Women experiences | What is the effect of the WHO LCG on the experience of care (e.g., satisfaction, respectful maternity care) during labour and childbirth? | 2.59 |
4 | Maternal and perinatal outcome | What is the effect of the WHO LCG on short- and long-term maternal and perinatal health outcomes? | 2.54 |
5 | Implementation research | What are the most effective approaches (e.g., education and training, monitoring and feedback, digital LCG, ownership of the WHO LCG and presentation in a health facility by the woman) to implement WHO LCG with high fidelity among different cadres, levels of care and settings? | 2.52 |
6 | Implementation research | What are the most effective education and training approaches on the WHO LCG to improve knowledge, attitudes, and intrapartum care practices of different cadres? | 2.49 |
7 | Tool development | Is the use of the WHO LCG to monitor labour progress feasible, safe and effective in improving outcomes in special situations (e.g., induction of labour, breech presentation, premature labour, epidural analgesia, twin pregnancy)? | 2.48 |
8 | Organisation of care and resource utilisation | What is the effect of the WHO LCG on the organisation of labour and childbirth care (e.g., referrals, teamwork, patient flow, human and physical resource requirements, shared decision making between the woman and maternity care provider)? | 2.37 |
9 | Tool development | What is the effect of modifying thresholds in the WHO LCG alert line (e.g., lower thresholds of cervical dilatation and time limits of labour progress, threshold for fetal descent) on maternal and perinatal outcomes, use of clinical interventions and organisation of care, in various levels of care and different settings? | 2.37 |
10 | Organisation of care and resource utilisation | How cost-effective is the WHO LCG in various levels of care and different settings? | 2.32 |