Survey Model and Methodology

The 2022 National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey questionnaire contained 99 questions covering different aspects of bereavement care in maternity units and hospitals such as admission, communication, labour and birth, care after birth and meeting your baby, postnatal care, bereavement care, discharge and follow-up care.

A number of free-text questions allowed women and their partners the opportunity to provide additional information and feedback on their personal experiences in hospital.

Download the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey.

Questionnaire development

The steps undertaken in 2021 to develop the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey questionnaire were:

1. An international review of bereaved parents’ experience surveys identified international best practice with regard to the models and methodologies employed to deliver a National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey.
2. Focus groups involving bereaved parents, healthcare professionals, support organisations, representatives of special interest groups, inspectors and policy-makers identified the most important question areas to include in the survey.
3. A gap analysis identified questions which are relevant to the Irish context of care following a pregnancy loss.
4. A list of questions were assembled from the previous steps, of which a Delphi study identified the priority questions.
5. A further review was undertaken by experts, for example, the Department of Health, HIQA, HSE and the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey Programme Board to further prioritise questions in the survey.
6. Cognitive interviews with bereaved parents who have used health and social care services were undertaken to assess the clarity and appropriateness of the proposed National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey questionnaire.
7. Following approval by the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey Programme Board, the survey questionnaire was finalised.