Abstract:
The Internet is growing every day as a source of knowledge and medium for exchange of
information. Midwives are beginning to recognise its potential for networking and
collaboration, as well as a research tool for accessing evidence-based
information that
can be utilised in practice. This thesis explores the use of the Internet by midwives in
New Zealand. It describes a pilot study, which took the opportunity to trial the use of the
Internet as a research tool. The pilot study also tested a survey designed to discover how
midwives regard and utilise the potential of the Internet to revolutionise the provision of
maternity care. The sample for this study was a convenience sample of 54 midwives
working in New Zealand. The midwives were invited by personal email
to access the
web site and complete the questionnaire. The data were then transferred by electronic
transmission into the research database, and analysed by SPSS computer software. The
data generated were nominal and descriptive statistics were used.
This pilot study has shown that there is a population of midwives in New Zealand who
regularly use the Internet for searching information, which they utilise in their
professional practice, and pass onto colleagues and midwifery clients. Respondents were
recruited to the study by way of ‘snowballing.’ One hundred and ten emails
were sent
out inviting midwives to participate in the study. They were also asked to pass on the
invitation email
to as many colleagues as possible. 54 midwives completed and
submitted the questionnaire.
