gms | German Medical Science

Background: According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are about 20,000 midwives working in hospitals in Germany. The number of freelance midwives has not yet been accurately recorded. The public health significance of this occupational group is defined by their extensive activities during pregnancy, childbirth, the puerperium and breastfeeding. Midwives make a decisive contribution to maintaining the health of mother and child. They are responsible for the independent management of physiological births as well as the examination, care and monitoring of newborns and infants. Interprofessional cooperation with the medical profession is initiated as soon as deviations from the physiological course of a pregnancy, birth, puerperium or breastfeeding are detected by them. Scientific evidence about this interprofessional collaboration of midwives already exists, but leaves open what needs there are, especially within the Covid-19 pandemic, and what possibilities midwives themselves see for improvement.

Research question: For the first time in a dissertation, the care provided by general practitioners to midwives themselves and the needs and possibilities of a more in-depth networking between general practitioner care and midwifery are elicited. Furthermore, risks and experiences of midwives in the Corona pandemic in Germany are recorded.

Methodology: Within the framework of a cross-sectional study, which included freelance midwives and midwives employed in hospitals, 57 midwives were interviewed via LimeSurvey about their experiences and attitudes towards interprofessional cooperation with gynecologists, family doctors, pediatricians and other midwives before and during the pandemic. This resulted in a participation rate of 10.7%.

Results: 8.8% of the exclusively female participants stated that they did not have a family doctor themselves and 26.3% did not receive occupational health care.

However, 96.5% think that better networking of their own professional group with other professions would have a positive effect on their work in the future. Also, 89.4% of respondents would like to be seen as part of holistic health care as a midwife and to work more interprofessionally. However, only 43.8% would like to see a stronger presence of family physicians in the care and education of pregnant women and women who have recently given birth.

Discussion: Due to the low participation rate, a selection effect can be assumed. It can be discussed whether more midwives participated who are particularly interested in interprofessional cooperation. First indications can be derived that the interprofessional cooperation of midwives with cooperating groups of physicians and especially general practitioners should be strengthened. Also, for future pandemics, the needs and necessities of a prioritized strengthening of midwives and comprehensive care of pregnant women and women in childbed can be worked out.

Take home message for practice: The proportion of midwives surveyed who are not themselves affiliated with family physicians roughly reflects the proportion of the overall population who do not have a family physician. It remains to be investigated where freelance midwives in particular obtain their occupational health care and how this can be strengthened to provide complete protection for this important and highly stressed occupational group. The majority of respondents are positive about increased collaboration. There is potential here for closer professional links in the future.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: A vote on ethics was not necessary. The completion of the work was financially supported by a grant from the Daniela-und-Jürgen-Westphal-Stiftung. There are no conflicts of interest.