----- 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
