Kara, Nabihah, Rebecca Firestone, Tapan Kalita et al., “The BetterBirth Program: Pursuing Effective Adoption and Sustained Use of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist Through Coaching-Based Implementation in Uttar Pradesh, India,” Global Health: Science and Practice 5, no.2 (June 2017), doi:10.9745/GHSP-D-16-00411

URL: www.ghspjournal.org/content/5/2/232.full.pdf+html

Abstract

Shifting childbirth into facilities has not improved health outcomes for mothers and newborns as significantly as hoped. Improving the quality and safety of care provided during facility-based childbirth requires helping providers to adhere to essential birth practices—evidence-based behaviors that reduce harm to and save lives of mothers and newborns. To achieve this goal, we developed the BetterBirth Program, which we tested in a matched-pair, cluster-randomized controlled trial in Uttar Pradesh, India. The goal of this intervention was to improve adoption and sustained use of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC), an organized collection of 28 essential birth practices that are known to improve the quality of facility-based childbirth care. Here, we describe the BetterBirth Program in detail, including its 4 main features: implementation tools, an implementation strategy of coaching, an implementation pathway (Engage-Launch-Support), and a sustainability plan. This coaching-based implementation of the SCC motivates and empowers care providers to identify, understand, and resolve the barriers they face in using the SCC with the resources already available. We describe important lessons learned from our experience with the BetterBirth Program as it was tested in the BetterBirth Trial. For example, the emphasis on relationship building and respect led to trust between coaches and birth attendants and helped influence change. In addition, the cloud-based data collection and feedback system proved a valuable asset in the coaching process. More research on coaching-based interventions is required to refine our understanding of what works best to improve quality and safety of care in various settings. Note: At the time of publication of this article, the results of evaluation of the impact of the BetterBirth Program were pending publication in another journal. After the impact findings have been published, we will update this article with a reference to the impact findings.

This study emphasizes the importance of the quality of birth care women receive, not just the importance of where childbirth takes place. The BetterBirth Program developed by Kara et al. (2017) shows promise to change behaviors that will improve the care women receive at facility-based childbirth centers through coaching and training care providers to successfully implement the World Health Organization’s Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC).