title: Women's views about maternity care: how do women conceptualise the process of continuity?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to gain an understanding of how women conceptualise continuity of maternity care.
  
  
  METHODS
  a qualitative study involving in-depth semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  a range of urban and rural public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  53 women aged 18-44 years (median age 27 years) receiving maternity care in 2011-2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  responses from women suggested five concepts of continuity: continuity of staff, continuity of relationship, continuity of information, continuity across pregnancies and continuity across locations. These concepts of continuity differed by parity and location.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  continuity of maternity care has a variety of meanings to women. If health care providers are to commit to providing woman-centred maternity care it is important to recognise the diversity of women's experiences, and ensure that systems of care are flexible and appropriate to women's circumstances and needs.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. Electronic address: mary.jenkins@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Mary G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. Electronic address: jane.ford@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jane B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. Electronic address: angela.todd@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Angela L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. Electronic address: rowena.forsyth@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Rowena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Forsyth
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; Discipline of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. Electronic address: jonathan.morris@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. Electronic address: christine.roberts@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D009517:New South Wales; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Conceptualise; Continuity; Maternity care; Relational care