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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Mapping the global expansion of the Birth Experience Study (BESt): A cross-country review of respectful maternity care research
1
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Midwifery, Berlin, Germany
2
Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Sydney, Australia
3
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Stockholm, Sweden
4
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine - Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Aarhus, Denmark
5
King's College London, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing- Midwifery & Palliative Care, London, United Kingdom
6
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Groningen, Netherlands
7
Taipei Medical University, College of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan Province of China
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A480
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The Birth Experiences Study (BESt) was initiated in Australia in 2021 to address concerns about obstetric violence, disrespect, and lack of autonomy in maternity care. Building on this foundation, the international collaboration (BESt-IC) was formed to implement a shared, co-designed survey across diverse global contexts. Aimed at elevating the voices of birthing people and informing policy, BESt-IC promotes research capacity building, equitable knowledge sharing, and sustainable systems change. It adopts a participatory design approach that centres the experiences of those who give birth.
OBJECTIVES:
This poster presents cumulative response numbers and synthesised findings from published country-level studies. It also provides a concise overview of the international progress in applying the BESt framework and highlights the value of shared measures for cross-country comparison in maternity care research.
METHODS:
This overview is based on the synthesis of available publications and project documentation within the BESt network. A narrative mapping approach was applied to describe the study’s origins, measures, and national-level application. Core measures used across settings include the Mothers on Respect index (MORi), the Mothers’ Autonomy in Decision Making scale (MADM), and the Mistreatment Index (MISTI).
RESULTS:
As of mid-2025, BESt is active or in preparation in over 15 countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Brazil, Denmark, Indonesia, Germany, and Austria. Several teams have completed national data collection and begun dissemination. This poster will provide an overview of country involvement, implementation progress, and synthesise results from published country-level studies focusing on respectful care, autonomy, and disparities.
CONCLUSIONS:
BESt enables international collaboration to measure respectful maternity care. This overview highlights opportunities for global benchmarking and system change.
KEY MESSAGE:
Shared measures and collaboration are key to improving maternity care worldwide. Poster session 1 (Group A)
The Birth Experiences Study (BESt) was initiated in Australia in 2021 to address concerns about obstetric violence, disrespect, and lack of autonomy in maternity care. Building on this foundation, the international collaboration (BESt-IC) was formed to implement a shared, co-designed survey across diverse global contexts. Aimed at elevating the voices of birthing people and informing policy, BESt-IC promotes research capacity building, equitable knowledge sharing, and sustainable systems change. It adopts a participatory design approach that centres the experiences of those who give birth.
OBJECTIVES:
This poster presents cumulative response numbers and synthesised findings from published country-level studies. It also provides a concise overview of the international progress in applying the BESt framework and highlights the value of shared measures for cross-country comparison in maternity care research.
METHODS:
This overview is based on the synthesis of available publications and project documentation within the BESt network. A narrative mapping approach was applied to describe the study’s origins, measures, and national-level application. Core measures used across settings include the Mothers on Respect index (MORi), the Mothers’ Autonomy in Decision Making scale (MADM), and the Mistreatment Index (MISTI).
RESULTS:
As of mid-2025, BESt is active or in preparation in over 15 countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Brazil, Denmark, Indonesia, Germany, and Austria. Several teams have completed national data collection and begun dissemination. This poster will provide an overview of country involvement, implementation progress, and synthesise results from published country-level studies focusing on respectful care, autonomy, and disparities.
CONCLUSIONS:
BESt enables international collaboration to measure respectful maternity care. This overview highlights opportunities for global benchmarking and system change.
KEY MESSAGE:
Shared measures and collaboration are key to improving maternity care worldwide. Poster session 1 (Group A)
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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