Barriers in completing the checklist for safe deliveries: integrative review

Abstract

Objective: To identify, in the scientific literature, the barriers that make it difficult to apply the Safe Childbirth Checklist of the World Health Organization. Methods: An integrative review was conducted from November 2020 to May 2022, using the following data sources: Scopus, MEDLINE®/PubMed®, Web of Science, and CINAHL. This study was conducted according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Results: The sample consisted of 14 studies published mainly in 2021, when South America predominated as a publishing continent. The English language, methodological studies, and quantitative approaches prevailed. Level IV evidence prevailed in the sample. In the identified studies, there was a strong description of cultural factors, followed by structural factors and factors related to the work process. Conclusion: Cultural (interpersonal relationships, hierarchy of professional classes, and poor communication) and structural (design and fonts used in the checklist) factors, and those related to the work process (such as the checklist implemented in the health service, the manager’s attitude regarding presenting it, and need for educational/training intervention for health professionals) are the main barriers that make it difficult to apply the Safe Childbirth Checklist.