Effective Communication in Perinatal Care

ComPARE is a cross-sectional observational study investigating the effectiveness of communication during prenatal consultations concerning vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC). It involves 50 pregnant people considering VBAC and 12 healthcare professionals from IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele: 6 OB-GYNs and 6 midwives with expertise in VBAC. The main objective is to identify and analyse misunderstandings in doctor/midwife-patient communication, using the TouCAN Codebook, and to examine whether these misunderstandings are associated with patients' perceptions of communication quality. The study does not introduce any treatment or medical device: it analyses routine clinical consultations. The study period is 5 years, with 2 years of enrolment.

Inclusion Criteria 1. Singleton pregnancy. 2. Gestational age between 33 and 37 weeks at the time of the prenatal consultation. 3. Maternal age between 18 and 44 years, inclusive. 4. Ability to communicate in Italian and understand the study procedures. 5. History of at least one previous caesarean delivery. 6. Planned delivery at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele. 7. Provision of written informed consent for study participation and audio recording of the consultation. Exclusion Criteria 1. Multiple pregnancy. 2. Obstetric emergencies or urgent clinical conditions requiring immediate medical intervention that would prevent the planned prenatal counselling consultation. 3. Inability to provide valid informed consent. 4. Refusal of audio recording of the consultation. 5. Clinical or logistical circumstances preventing participation in the interview following the consultation.