The COVID-19 pandemic provides new challenges for the safety of people receiving and providing maternity care. This project, conducted in collaboration with the PROMPT Maternity Foundation and THIS.institute, involved a rapid-response consultation exercise to understand what good looks like for managing obstetric emergencies in women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Over 100 participants* with expertise in maternity care, infection prevention and control, and human factors took part in the consultation, enabled by THIS Institute’s research platform, Thiscovery.

They first offered recommendations to improve practices illustrated in a video for managing an obstetric emergency in a woman with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. They then took part in a two-stage consensus-building exercise, generating 16 recommendations on which there was a high level of agreement.

A new video illustrating these improved practices – ranging from using grab-bags for emergency kit through to ensuring good communication with families – was then produced, along with other resources.

Click THIS LINK which will take you to all of the associated resources on the THIS.institute website including:

• Video: Managing obstetric emergencies in women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19
• COVID-19: Five key goals in managing an obstetric emergency
• Downloadable poster of the five key goals.