----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 1:55
AM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Push for Informed
choices?
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
