PURPOSE:
To provide women, midwives and maternity clinicians with evidence-based decision aids that support informed choices for pain management in labour and birth after a previous caesarean – aiming to improve women’s birth experiences.

DISCUSSION:
Over the last fifty years birth has become increasingly medicalised, with caesarean rates rising worldwide1. Australia ranks among the highest globally1. In response to government reports highlighting concerns about the rise of non-medically indicated birth interventions including caesarean sections, Clinical Excellence Queensland developed the Queensland Birth Strategy outlining five priorities for action2. One of these priorities was to create consumer-focused resources that supported informed decision-making. Clinical excellence commissioned Metro North Health to design two decision aids: Birth after One Previous Caesarean Section and Pain Management in Labour. In 2024, a team of clinicians, academics, and consumers collaboratively developed the decision aids to be: ·Co-designed to reflect women’s needs and perspectives ·Accessible and user-friendly, inclusive of different literacy levels ·Digital and interactive, allowing women to explore options and note preferences to discuss with healthcare providers ·Aligned with the International Patient Decision Aid Standards3 The co-design process involved several focus groups with women who had lived experience relevant to the topic areas, then reviewed by consumers and clinicians through advisory panels. Future plans: ·September 2025 – pilot decision aids at two maternity units ·December 2025 – evaluation report ·Early 2026 – decision aids available online for women and clinicians - across Queensland.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
1.Betran AP, Ye J, Moller AB, Souza JP, Zhang J. Trends and projections of caesarean section rates: global and regional estimates. BMJGlobHealth 2021; 6(6). 2.Queensland Health. Queensland Birth Strategy 2024-2030. A guide for clinicians. Queensland Health, 2024. 3.International Patient Decision Aids Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration

KEY MESSAGE:
Co-designing with women ensures tools are user-friendly and relevant to their needs. Empowering women and midwives with evidence-based information supports informed decisions Enhancing women’s birth experiences, helps reduce birth trauma Poster session 2 (Group A)