Reducing Cesarean Section Rates and Enhancing Vaginal Delivery in Greece: a Stepped-Wedge Randomized Controlled Trial
NCT ID: NCT04504500
Last Updated: 2024-01-23
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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COMPLETED
NA
6029 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2021-05-31
2023-10-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
CROSSOVER
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
SINGLE
Study Groups
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Observation phase
Routine practice assessment
No interventions assigned to this group
Intervention phase
Clinical practice assessment after the application of the trial's educational, behavioral and organizational interventions
HSOG guidelines application
In their practice, as regards the mode of delivery, obstetricians are encouraged to conform to the three guidelines and two consent forms published by the Hellenic Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (HSOG). The members of the appointed Steering Committee and/or local opinion leaders will discuss and disseminate these guidelines among the professional staff in the respective maternity units, providing them with the opportunity to identify specific barriers, overcome them, and develop an implementation timetable.
Interactive workshops and courses
The workshops and courses will give instruction in indications for cesarean section and clinical scenarios, physiology-based cardiotocography (CTG) interpretation, obstetric emergencies (with topics including breech delivery, trial of labor after cesarean, delivery of twins, induction and augmentation of labor), organization of the labor ward, as well as launching of regular cesarean section and CTG meetings with review of the patient notes. The workshops will last four days and will be conducted by experienced trainers. The expectation is that the obstetricians will gain very considerable knowledge and skills, which will enable them to subsequently follow these practices safely and competently.
Feedback through follow-up meetings
Regular follow-up meetings with members of the steering committee and local opinion leaders throughout the intervention period will enhance compliance with the guidelines. Feedback with positive phrasing will be incorporated to meet local needs.
Robson criteria usage
Obstetricians are set to a routine to enable them to use the Robson 10-group classification criteria for cesarean sections and obtain feedback on the unit's cesarean section rates monthly. They thus know which category is higher and can be reduced further.
Access to live real-time statistics
Live real-time statistics provided by an online platform, on a regular basis, is expected to improve adherence, through regular feedback. Each unit will see other units' statistics by means of an anonymous reporting system. This repetition will create silent signals that will remind the participating obstetricians to remain on task.
Attendance of local cesarean section meetings
Local cesarean section meetings will be held weekly, in each unit. The members of the steering committee or local opinion leaders may actively participate in these meetings. Local obstetricians learn to judiciously adapt standard medical practices, thereby avoiding unnecessary medical interventions. This is a way to further enhance compliance, as during the discussions the behavior expected of the obstetricians is clearly stated by the participating opinion leaders.
Attendance of local CTG interpretation meetings
Local CTG interpretation meetings will be held weekly, in each unit, during which all "abnormal" CTG cases that led to cesarean section will be reviewed and discussed. Members of the Steering Committee or local opinion leaders may actively participate in these meetings. Obstetricians are encouraged to reflect on their medical practice through judicious physiology-based CTG interpretation.
Reminders of proper clinical practice
Effective and reliable reminders concerning optimal obstetric practice will be placed in labor wards, staff rooms, patient notes, vaginal birth packages and above theater hand washers. There will be short messages with positive phrasing regarding the benefits of vaginal birth, thus reminding birth attendants to reduce unnecessary cesarean sections. Relevant SMS (short message service) will be sent to the participating obstetricians' mobiles on a regular basis, so as to motivate them via non-verbal signals.
HSOG guidelines implementation
There will be application in daily practice of three guidelines and two consent forms pertaining to the mode of delivery published by HSOG. Obstetricians are informed on evidence-based medicine in obstetrics and provided with a structured and safe approach to labor management. The members of the appointed Steering Committee and/or local opinion leaders discuss and disseminate the guidelines among the professional staff at the respective maternity units, answer questions, and make available their knowledge and experience. Adoption of guidelines by the participating unit helps to establish clear, consistent rules that are direct and simple, and obstetricians are asked to embrace fully justified medical practice.
Interactive workshops and courses training
The workshops and courses will provide instruction in indications for cesarean section and case scenarios, physiology-based CTG interpretation, obstetric emergencies (with topics including breech delivery, trial of labor after cesarean, delivery of twins, induction and augmentation of labor), organization of labor ward and launching of cesarean section and CTG meetings. This type of formal training provides problem-solving strategies, using mnemonics, that are critical in emergencies and that also aid in learning and retaining the skills being taught. Functional and social skills that directly affect decision-making and effectiveness are addressed. Thus, units adopt a continuous educational procedure for their staff, enhancing their confidence when dealing with labor emergencies and redesigning labor management plans, so as to ensure high-level obstetric services.
Implementation of Robson criteria classification
Use will be implemented of an online application embedded in the REDCap electronic database questionnaire with Robson 10-group classification criteria and feedback on the unit's cesarean section rates monthly, so as to know which category is higher and can be reduced further. This change in the unit's practice will introduce a new medical reporting and audit system that can detect unjustified medical procedures much more easily.
Live real-time statistics online platform
Live real-time statistics provided on a regular basis by an online platform will provide feedback and essential information. Each unit will see other units' statistics using an anonymous reporting system. This information can trigger self-generative learning strategies and help obstetricians to become more effective learners.
Local cesarean section meetings
Local cesarean section meetings will be held weekly in each unit. The members of the Steering Committee or local opinion leaders may actively participate in these meetings. The unit's staff can hear about both justified and unnecessary surgical procedures and draw informed conclusions as to the optimal procedure in similar cases. They will also have the opportunity to actively participate in an elaborative problem-solving discussion. These meetings when routinely conducted, provide feedback and audit resources to help improve performance and further enhance compliance.
Local CTG interpretation meetings
Local CTG interpretation meetings will be held weekly, in each unit during which all "abnormal" CTG cases that led to cesarean section will be reviewed and discussed. Members of the Steering Committee or local opinion leaders may actively participate in these meetings offering coaching and counseling services in decision-making. Through elaborative discussion the staff will improve their knowledge and skills in correct CTG interpretation, thus preventing unnecessary interventions, such as cesarean sections.
Follow-up meetings
Regular follow-up meetings of the participating obstetricians with members of the steering committee and local opinion leaders throughout the intervention period will enhance compliance with the guidelines. Establishment of commonly accepted practice augments the homogeneity of clinical action plans and team work in the unit.
Interventions
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HSOG guidelines application
In their practice, as regards the mode of delivery, obstetricians are encouraged to conform to the three guidelines and two consent forms published by the Hellenic Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (HSOG). The members of the appointed Steering Committee and/or local opinion leaders will discuss and disseminate these guidelines among the professional staff in the respective maternity units, providing them with the opportunity to identify specific barriers, overcome them, and develop an implementation timetable.
Interactive workshops and courses
The workshops and courses will give instruction in indications for cesarean section and clinical scenarios, physiology-based cardiotocography (CTG) interpretation, obstetric emergencies (with topics including breech delivery, trial of labor after cesarean, delivery of twins, induction and augmentation of labor), organization of the labor ward, as well as launching of regular cesarean section and CTG meetings with review of the patient notes. The workshops will last four days and will be conducted by experienced trainers. The expectation is that the obstetricians will gain very considerable knowledge and skills, which will enable them to subsequently follow these practices safely and competently.
Feedback through follow-up meetings
Regular follow-up meetings with members of the steering committee and local opinion leaders throughout the intervention period will enhance compliance with the guidelines. Feedback with positive phrasing will be incorporated to meet local needs.
Robson criteria usage
Obstetricians are set to a routine to enable them to use the Robson 10-group classification criteria for cesarean sections and obtain feedback on the unit's cesarean section rates monthly. They thus know which category is higher and can be reduced further.
Access to live real-time statistics
Live real-time statistics provided by an online platform, on a regular basis, is expected to improve adherence, through regular feedback. Each unit will see other units' statistics by means of an anonymous reporting system. This repetition will create silent signals that will remind the participating obstetricians to remain on task.
Attendance of local cesarean section meetings
Local cesarean section meetings will be held weekly, in each unit. The members of the steering committee or local opinion leaders may actively participate in these meetings. Local obstetricians learn to judiciously adapt standard medical practices, thereby avoiding unnecessary medical interventions. This is a way to further enhance compliance, as during the discussions the behavior expected of the obstetricians is clearly stated by the participating opinion leaders.
Attendance of local CTG interpretation meetings
Local CTG interpretation meetings will be held weekly, in each unit, during which all "abnormal" CTG cases that led to cesarean section will be reviewed and discussed. Members of the Steering Committee or local opinion leaders may actively participate in these meetings. Obstetricians are encouraged to reflect on their medical practice through judicious physiology-based CTG interpretation.
Reminders of proper clinical practice
Effective and reliable reminders concerning optimal obstetric practice will be placed in labor wards, staff rooms, patient notes, vaginal birth packages and above theater hand washers. There will be short messages with positive phrasing regarding the benefits of vaginal birth, thus reminding birth attendants to reduce unnecessary cesarean sections. Relevant SMS (short message service) will be sent to the participating obstetricians' mobiles on a regular basis, so as to motivate them via non-verbal signals.
HSOG guidelines implementation
There will be application in daily practice of three guidelines and two consent forms pertaining to the mode of delivery published by HSOG. Obstetricians are informed on evidence-based medicine in obstetrics and provided with a structured and safe approach to labor management. The members of the appointed Steering Committee and/or local opinion leaders discuss and disseminate the guidelines among the professional staff at the respective maternity units, answer questions, and make available their knowledge and experience. Adoption of guidelines by the participating unit helps to establish clear, consistent rules that are direct and simple, and obstetricians are asked to embrace fully justified medical practice.
Interactive workshops and courses training
The workshops and courses will provide instruction in indications for cesarean section and case scenarios, physiology-based CTG interpretation, obstetric emergencies (with topics including breech delivery, trial of labor after cesarean, delivery of twins, induction and augmentation of labor), organization of labor ward and launching of cesarean section and CTG meetings. This type of formal training provides problem-solving strategies, using mnemonics, that are critical in emergencies and that also aid in learning and retaining the skills being taught. Functional and social skills that directly affect decision-making and effectiveness are addressed. Thus, units adopt a continuous educational procedure for their staff, enhancing their confidence when dealing with labor emergencies and redesigning labor management plans, so as to ensure high-level obstetric services.
Implementation of Robson criteria classification
Use will be implemented of an online application embedded in the REDCap electronic database questionnaire with Robson 10-group classification criteria and feedback on the unit's cesarean section rates monthly, so as to know which category is higher and can be reduced further. This change in the unit's practice will introduce a new medical reporting and audit system that can detect unjustified medical procedures much more easily.
Live real-time statistics online platform
Live real-time statistics provided on a regular basis by an online platform will provide feedback and essential information. Each unit will see other units' statistics using an anonymous reporting system. This information can trigger self-generative learning strategies and help obstetricians to become more effective learners.
Local cesarean section meetings
Local cesarean section meetings will be held weekly in each unit. The members of the Steering Committee or local opinion leaders may actively participate in these meetings. The unit's staff can hear about both justified and unnecessary surgical procedures and draw informed conclusions as to the optimal procedure in similar cases. They will also have the opportunity to actively participate in an elaborative problem-solving discussion. These meetings when routinely conducted, provide feedback and audit resources to help improve performance and further enhance compliance.
Local CTG interpretation meetings
Local CTG interpretation meetings will be held weekly, in each unit during which all "abnormal" CTG cases that led to cesarean section will be reviewed and discussed. Members of the Steering Committee or local opinion leaders may actively participate in these meetings offering coaching and counseling services in decision-making. Through elaborative discussion the staff will improve their knowledge and skills in correct CTG interpretation, thus preventing unnecessary interventions, such as cesarean sections.
Follow-up meetings
Regular follow-up meetings of the participating obstetricians with members of the steering committee and local opinion leaders throughout the intervention period will enhance compliance with the guidelines. Establishment of commonly accepted practice augments the homogeneity of clinical action plans and team work in the unit.
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Top 22 units in Greece according to the number of deliveries and the type of unit (National Health System, private, university) and the unit's willingness to participate.
* Up to 11 obstetricians in each unit (based on the number of deliveries and their willingness to participate)
* Consent obtained from all participating professionals
* Consent obtained from all participating women
Exclusion Criteria
14 Years
46 Years
FEMALE
Yes
Sponsors
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St George's, University of London
OTHER
A. G. Leventis Foundation
UNKNOWN
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
OTHER
Hellenic Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Nikolaos Vrachnis, Prof Ob/Gyn
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Hellenic Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Locations
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All participating units
Athens, , Greece
Countries
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References
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Vrachnis N, Vlachadis N, Iliodromiti Z, Vlachadi M, Creatsas G. Greece's birth rates and the economic crisis. Lancet. 2014 Feb 22;383(9918):692-3. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60252-X. No abstract available.
Betran AP, Torloni MR, Zhang JJ, Gulmezoglu AM; WHO Working Group on Caesarean Section. WHO Statement on Caesarean Section Rates. BJOG. 2016 Apr;123(5):667-70. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.13526. Epub 2015 Jul 22. No abstract available.
Vlachadis N, Vrachnis N, Economou E. Fertility treatments and multiple births in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2014 Mar 13;370(11):1069-70. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1400242. No abstract available.
Betran AP, Ye J, Moller AB, Zhang J, Gulmezoglu AM, Torloni MR. The Increasing Trend in Caesarean Section Rates: Global, Regional and National Estimates: 1990-2014. PLoS One. 2016 Feb 5;11(2):e0148343. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148343. eCollection 2016.
Vlachadis N, Iliodromiti Z, Creatsas G, Vrachnis N. Preterm birth time trends in Europe: the worrying case of Greece. BJOG. 2014 Feb;121(3):372-3. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.12529. No abstract available.
The Lancet. Stemming the global caesarean section epidemic. Lancet. 2018 Oct 13;392(10155):1279. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32394-8. No abstract available.
Vrachnis N, Iliodromiti S, Samoli E, Iliodromiti Z, Dendrinos S, Creatsas G. Maternal mortality in Greece, 1996-2006. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2011 Oct;115(1):16-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.04.014. Epub 2011 Jul 23.
Chen I, Opiyo N, Tavender E, Mortazhejri S, Rader T, Petkovic J, Yogasingam S, Taljaard M, Agarwal S, Laopaiboon M, Wasiak J, Khunpradit S, Lumbiganon P, Gruen RL, Betran AP. Non-clinical interventions for reducing unnecessary caesarean section. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Sep 28;9(9):CD005528. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005528.pub3.
Vrachnis N, Vlachadis N. Maternal mortality estimates. Lancet. 2014 Dec 20;384(9961):2210. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62423-5. Epub 2014 Dec 19. No abstract available.
Hussey MA, Hughes JP. Design and analysis of stepped wedge cluster randomized trials. Contemp Clin Trials. 2007 Feb;28(2):182-91. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2006.05.007. Epub 2006 Jul 7.
Vlachadis N, Vrachnis N, Tsikouras P, Mastorakos G, Iliodromiti Z. Birth rates by maternal age in Greece: background, trends and future perspectives. J Reprod Med. 2015 Mar-Apr;60(3-4):183-4. No abstract available.
Vrachnis N, Antonakopoulos N, von Dadelszen P, Vidler M, Maroudias G, Bone J, Sandhu A, Loukas N, Magee L, Roussos N, Kassaris S, Fotiou A, Zygouris D, Adonakis G, Akrivis C, Antsaklis A, Athanasiadis A, Bontis N, Daniilidis A, Daponte A, Daskalakis G, Deligeoroglou E, Dinas K, Drakakis P, Gerede A, Grimbizis G, Iacovidou N, Kambas N, Katasos T, Katsetos C, Katsikis I, Makrigiannakis A, Matalliotakis M, Messini C, Mikos T, Nikolettos N, Pados G, Paschopoulos M, Patsouras K, Siahanidou S, Sioulas V, Skentou C, Stavros S, Temmerman M, Tsikouras P, Tsitsis V, Vlahos N, Rodolakis A, Papageorghiou A, Loutradis D. ENhancinG vAGinal dElivery in Greece through educational and behavioral interventions among maternity care providers regarding labor management: the ENGAGE stepped-wedge randomized prospective trial protocol. Trials. 2024 Aug 19;25(1):548. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08263-x.
Related Links
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Trial webpage
Other Identifiers
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129/29062018
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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