Continuity of care as central theme in perinatal care: A systematic review.

Problem: The global shortage of nurses is straining perinatal care, disrupting continuity of care and negatively affecting patient outcomes.

Background: Continuity of care is essential in perinatal care, where the complexity of maternal and infant needs requires coordinated care across the antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods.

Aim: To provide an overview of the current literature on continuity of care in the interprofessional perinatal care from the perspective of nursing.

Methods: Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute, a search in seven academic databases was conducted in March 2023. A thematic synthesis was carried out to structure and integrate the findings.

Findings: A total of 23 articles were identified. Studies explored the impact of continuity of care, served as determinant or outcome, categorised into relational, management, and informational continuity. Notably, continuity as a determinant was the most commonly investigated aspect. Five determinants were identified related to three outcome categories: patient-reported experience measures, patient-reported outcomes, and the prevention or reduction of complications.

Discussion: Continuity of care is mainly manifested in relational and management continuity, with known healthcare professionals, whether or not involved in a care program, being key determinants. The most positive outcomes related to continuity of care were found in the patient-reported experience measures.

Conclusion: The personal relationship between patient, parents and healthcare professionals is crucial. Informational continuity is underrepresented in perinatal care research, and there is a lack of research on the relationship between continuity of care and patient-reported outcomes.