Swedish Perinatal Core Outcome Set

Update March 2023: Now the results of the project are published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.

How to cite this article: Savchenko J, Asp M, Blomberg M, et al. Key outcomes in childbirth: Development of a perinatal core outcome set for management of labor and delivery at or near term. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2023;00:1-7. doi:10.1111/aogs.14560

There is a large variation in outcomes used in obstetric studies, many of which are criticized for using surrogate outcome without clinical relevance or combined outcome with disproportionately big weight of less relevant outcomes.  A perinatal core outcome set is needed within the area of labour and delivery management at or near term to improve consistency of research, audit and comparison between caregivers.

Our study with planned start in autumn 2020 will include a systematic review of the literature and a two-round Delphi survey with patients, clinicians and researchers and other relevant Swedish stakeholders within the area, followed by a final consensus meeting. The aim of this study is to reach a robust consensus about a national perinatal core outcome set to be used in Sweden when studying and evaluating interventions and decision making within the area of labour and delivery at or near term, including timing of planned delivery, labour induction and augmentation, mode of delivery etc. The study is registered at COMET database.

Invited collaborators will include: Swedish Perinatal Working and Reference Group (Perinatal-ARG), Swedish neonatal society (Svensk Neonatalförening); Swedish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SFOG), Swedish network for national clinical studies in Obstetrics and Gynecology (SNAKS); Swedish Association of Midwives (Barnmorskeförbundet), Swedish Pregnancy Register (Graviditetsregistret), (Swedish Medical Birth Register) MFR, obstetrician representatives from all Swedish labour and delivery wards, neonatologist representatives from all Swedish neonatal wards; patient representatives.

Read the study protocol here.

We are open for collaboration, please do not hesitate to leave a message here if you are interested!