Respectful Maternity Care Measurement Registry

We used a participatory action research process to develop this RMC Measurement Registry of validated items and indicators that assess respect and mistreatment during the course of pregnancy and childbirth. Following an extensive review of the global literature, we identified over 300 potential indicators and sorted them by the seven Bohren domains of mistreatment. We then convened an international Delphi panel of multidisciplinary experts and service users (n63) to select and prioritize quantitative indicators from this list that were developed or validated by service users. We presented the items for anonymous review over multiple rounds to garner consensus among members of the Delphi panel (Clarke, 2019). Service users on the Delphi panel recommended the addition of 5 new domains to assess respectful, kind, and supportive care as well as disrespect, abuse and mistreatment.

This RMC Registry presents the final items (210) sorted across domains as selected by the expert Delphi panel, and as prioritized by service users on the Steering Council for the Canadian national RESPCCT Study. These indicators prioritize the service user perspective when measuring and reporting on respect, disrespect, and mistreatment, during childbearing care. The items are ready for implementation across country contexts. The RESPCCT versions of the items were content validated and piloted tested by service users from diverse circumstances, backgrounds, and identities. Those items have been translated into 8 languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Punjabi, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Inuktitut. The MADM (autonomy) scale and MOR index are also available in German, Dutch, and Turkish.

Click on a domain below to see the available items, the original sources, and adapted versions.