Midwives’ Integration of Post-Abortion Manual Vacuum Aspiration in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Mixed Methods Case Study & Positive Deviance Assessment
Abstract Scientific AbstractBackground: This collaborative research with the Professional Association of Congolese midwives (SCOSAF) in the province of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo sought to understand how midwives have integrated manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) for post abortion care.Methods: A positive deviant approach to Creswell’s mixed method comparative case study design was used to identify midwives who have integrated MVA post training and to explore enabling factors. Case group comparisons of positive and non-positive deviant midwives provided further interpretations.Results: All 102 midwives invited to be surveyed were recruited. They included 34% who reported practicing MVA post training. No statistical significance was found between the two groups’ demographics and facility type. Overall, groups had positive attitudes regarding midwifery, MVA, and legalization of abortion. Positive deviant midwives demonstrated and described more confidence and competence to practice and teach MVA. They were more likely to identify as teachers and overcome interprofessional barriers by teaching MVA to physicians, medical students and other midwives and position themselves as experts during post abortion emergencies.Conclusion: Results provided important insight to midwives’ integration of post abortion care in Kinshasa. Strategies used by positive deviant midwives in emergencies allowed them to navigate challenging contexts in order to practice MVA, while simultaneously increasing the credibility of their profession and the dissemination of evidenced-based MVA practice. Programs designed to work with and promote positive deviant midwives as knowledge brokers could be tested for its overall impact on the diffusion of midwifery led MVA to improve access to safe respectful reproductive care.