Trialling and implementing a client-held records system

Abstract

A client-held records project was piloted and evaluated at Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital during 2000. To evaiuate women's and staff's experiences of this method of keeping records, questionnaires were sent to women's homes at the six weeks postnatai stage and to staff at their clinical practices. One hundred women were surveyed, aiong with ait obstetricians, aii midwives providing care at piiot ciinics and a sample of hospital-based midwives. Women were generally satisfied with the record system, it heiped them taik about or get information on their pregnancy and they found it easy to understand what was written. Most staff thought the record improved communication with women, but found it difficult to complete and felt it did not improve documentation. Haif of the midwives and one-third of obstetricians thought the record was suitable for ail women, with a similar proportion thinking it was suitable for low-risk women oniy. Client-heid records are vaiued by women and appear to improve communication between women and staff. Staff find them useful, however there are practicai difficuities associated with implementing new records.