Continuity of carer and partnership: A review of the literature

SummaryThe purpose of this paper was to conduct a critical review of the literature to determine whether there is convincing evidence that continuity of carer is fundamental to midwives forming a partnership relationship with women. Electronic databases and text were searched. The research findings did not support the notion that continuity of carer was a high priority of the women nor was it found to be a clear predictor for women's satisfaction. Continuity of care throughout the childbirth experience was found to increase midwives job satisfaction and autonomy but did not necessarily lead to midwives developing meaningful relationships with women. The lack of research support for continuity of care may be a matter of lack of well-designed studies or it may be a real finding. Further research is required to determine whether continuity of carer is essential to the partnership relationship.