A Qualitative Inquiry Into Midwives’ Experiences of Participating in Maternal Death Audit in the Upper East Region of Ghana’

Introduction A maternal death audit is an in-depth systematic review of maternal deaths to delineate their underlying health and other contributory factors. The process of maternal death audits has been seen as a training and development opportunity for midwives. The lessons learned from such audits have been shown to be useful in helping midwives improve their care practices and significantly reduce labour-related maternal mortality. Objective This study explored the experiences of midwives engaged in Maternal Death Audits (MDAs) within the Upper East Region of Ghana. Method Using the qualitative descriptive design, thirteen purposively recruited midwives from selected health facilities within the Upper East Region of Ghana participated in the study guided by the concept of saturation. A semi-structured interview guide was used to gather information from participants. The audio-taped data was transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis procedure. Results While some perceive MDA as a dynamic and growth-oriented experience, others find it challenging, mainly due to concerns about perceived blame and emotional distress. This ultimately undermine the original purpose for MDAs. Conclusion The study concluded that MDAs are currently conducted in a manner that subjects midwives to severe psychological distress, and this is exacerbated by the lack of institutional support for midwives during the process.