Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of an intervention based on Crew Resource Management team training, including a tool for structured communication, on adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes. DESIGN: Stepped wedge. SETTING: The Netherlands. POPULATION OR SAMPLE: Registry data of 8123 women referred from primary care to a hospital during childbirth, at ≥ 32.0 weeks of singleton gestation and with no congenital abnormalities, in the period 2012-15. METHODS: Obstetric teams of five hospitals and their surrounding primary-care midwifery practices participated in the intervention. In total, 49 team training sessions were organised for 465 care professionals (75.5% participated). Adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes before, during and after the intervention were analysed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adverse Outcome Index (AOI-5), a composite measure involving; intrapartum or neonatal death, admission to neonatal intensive care unit, Apgar < 7 at 5 minutes, postpartum haemorrhage and/or perineal tear. RESULTS: In total, an AOI-5 score was reported in 11.3% of the study population. No significant difference was found in the incidence of the AOI-5 score after the intervention compared with before the intervention (OR 1.07: 95% CI 0.92-1.24). CONCLUSIONS: We found no effect of the intervention on adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes for women who were referred during childbirth. Team training is appreciated in practice, but evidence on the long-term impact is still limited. Upcoming studies should build on previous research and consider more sensitive outcome measures. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: A cluster randomised team training intervention showed no effect on adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes for women referred during childbirth.