[ozmidwifery] Push for Informed choices?

[Denise Hynd]

Dear All, I commend the article, Political Matters by  Hannah Dahlen;  "Marketing fear and certainty - the oldest trick in the book!"  in the NSW Midwives Association's Midwifery Matters December 2002 issue.   I have asked the NSW Midwqives Association that they lead the profession in calling for policies and protocols based on and supportive of informed choice for maternity service consumers and practitioners.    I have suggested that they  could begin with the formation of a committee to review NSW Health's maternity service information documents to ensure that they are not "Marketing fear and certainty". Similarly I feel NSW Health documents used by service providers such as Antenatal records, Clinical Pathways, the Obstets Data Base, should be reviewed in light of evidence based practice and infomrmed consent . Thus such documents would support ongoing review and reflection of practices rather than perpetuate traditions, defensive over-servicing or subjective assesments.   Concurrently NSWMA and other maternity service educators could produce articles, workshops etc  on the professional and legal imperative, and benefits of  protocols and activities which are supportive and consistent with the concepts of informed choice and reflective practices.      If you are in a position to be involved in such activities I would encourage you all to reflect and act accordingly so NSWMA and others would act positively and effectively to counter the defensive obstetric practices and related fears currently influencing NSW maternity services as well as the media as explored in Hannah's article!          Denise Hynd