An observational study in Adults, Female and Labour Pain, sponsored by Bournemouth University. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in United Kingdom. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-21.
Sponsored by Bournemouth University · Observational
This Delphi study aims to establish expert consensus on the role, content, and delivery of pain science education (PSE) for labour and postpartum pain management. Despite the growing application of PSE in other populations, its use in maternity care remains underexplored. Through a three-round electronic Delphi survey, multidisciplinary experts-including physiotherapists, midwives, gynaecologists, pain specialists, nurses, and psychologists-will contribute their perspectives to guide the development of a structured PSE intervention for future clinical testing.
Labour pain is a critical and complex experience that can significantly influence both immediate and long-term maternal outcomes. Although antenatal education often addresses pain minimally or inconsistently, pain science education (PSE)-which reconceptualizes pain as a biopsychosocial phenomenon-has demonstrated benefits in other clinical contexts, such as chronic pain and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. PSE may reduce fear, enhance coping strategies, and support physiological birth outcomes. However, its integration into maternity care, particularly during labour and postpartum periods, has yet to be defined.
This study employs a three-round electronic Delphi (e-Delphi) methodology to gain consensus on the use of PSE in this context. The Delphi method is ideal for topics where empirical evidence is limited but expert opinion is available. Guided by established best practices including the CREDES (Guidance on Conducting and REporting DElphi Studies) this study ensures methodological rigour and transparency.
Multidisciplinary experts will be purposively recruited internationally via professional networks and social media platforms. To participate, experts must be English-speaking adults with relevant clinical experience or academic contributions in PSE, pain management, or antenatal education. The study will include physiotherapists, midwives, gynaecologists, psychologists, nurses, and pain specialists. Participants will be provided with detailed study information and will give informed consent electronically.
The Delphi process will be conducted in three iterative rounds, allowing experts to respond anonymously to survey items, review aggregate group feedback, and refine their views. This method aims to identify convergence in expert perspectives and clarify the key components of a future PSE intervention for labour and postpartum care. Data will be analysed using NVivo for qualitative responses and SPSS for quantitative analysis.
The outcome of this study will inform the development of a clearly defined, evidence-informed PSE intervention to be tested in future clinical trials. It represents an important step toward improving antenatal education and enhancing pain management during and after childbirth.
423 studies on the registry are indexed under Labor Pain; 74 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 132 across 62 observational studies indexed under Labor Pain.
Browse Labor Pain studies →Bournemouth University is the lead sponsor of 52 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.
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The study population will consist of 30 multidisciplinary experts recruited internationally, including physiotherapists, midwives, gynaecologists, pain management specialists, nurses, and psychologists. These participants will be selected using purposive sampling to ensure a diverse representation of professional backgrounds and experiences related to pain science education, pain management, and antenatal care.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Registered physiotherapist Registered midwife Gynaecologist Pain management specialist Nurses Psychologist
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Expert Consensus on Content of Pain Science Education for Labour and Postpartum
Expert consensus will be assessed using a structured three-round electronic Delphi survey. Survey items will ask participants to rate the importance or relevance of specific pain science education topics and components using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not important to 5 = essential). Consensus will be defined as ≥70% of participants rating an item as either 4 or 5. Quantitative agreement levels will be calculated per item in SPSS, and qualitative comments will be analysed in NVivo to support interpretation of ratings.
Time frame: Day 2
Expert Consensus on Optimal Timing for Delivery of Pain Science Education
Expert consensus on optimal time points for delivering pain science education will be assessed using a structured three-round electronic Delphi survey. Participants will rate each proposed timing option using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not appropriate to 5 = highly appropriate). Consensus will be defined as ≥70% of experts rating an item as 4 or 5. Quantitative data will be analysed using SPSS.
Time frame: Day 2
Expert Consensus on Preferred Delivery Methods for Pain Science Education
Expert agreement on preferred delivery formats for PSE (e.g., individual vs. group sessions, online vs. in-person, specific provider roles) will be assessed via a structured e-Delphi survey. Items will be rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not feasible/effective to 5 = highly feasible/effective). Consensus will be defined as ≥70% of participants selecting 4 or 5. Quantitative data will be analysed in SPSS to determine consensus levels.
Time frame: Day 2
Qualitative Insights into Implementation Feasibility and Barriers
Open-ended responses collected during the e-Delphi rounds will be analysed thematically to identify perceived barriers, facilitators, and implementation considerations for integrating PSE into routine antenatal care. Data will be analysed using qualitative content analysis in NVivo, with codes developed inductively and reviewed by multiple researchers to ensure rigour.
Time frame: Day 3
Plan to share: No
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Bournemouth University