Women's Decision-Making And Factors Affecting Their Choice Of ...

It was proposed at the end of chapter 2, that, women's preferences for
home or hospital birth might similarly be an indication of their risk perception
related to childbirth, which may be affected by their different interests and
circumstances. It was thought that the eventual place of birth might be preferred
because it is perceived to be safer than the alternative. The thesis then went on to
try to discover what factors influence women's views about the place of birth.
Two studies were conducted; the first, a systematic literature review looking at
research into women's views about the childbirth process, and factors that affect
their choice of place of delivery. The review served as an introductory tour of the
area, to discover how much is known about women's views, as well as what to
look for that might give clues to women's perceptions. Only nine published
studies were found, thus exposing the lack of studies addressing women's views
about the place of birth. As seen in Chapter 1, the focus of research and debate
about the place of birth is safety, and the views of women are not included.
The systematic review also revealed that the few studies that looked at
women's views about the place of birth used questionnaires. Questionnaires
devised by professionals tend to seek answers that inform the particular
professional's perspective rather than the participant's view. A recommendation
was therefore made for more studies looking at women's own perspectives to
satisfy the government policy of a woman centred service (Department of Health
1993b; House of Commons Health Committee 1992). Indeed, the traditional role
of the client as perhaps the most critical and yet underused resource for improved
health care outcomes needs to be urgently reviewed (Chewning and Sleath 1996).
For the client to be afforded their rightful role as determinant of the type of care,
there must be effective communication and recognition of the patient's right to
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