Ethnicity Coding in European Maternity Care Services – Practices and Analytical Approaches to Evaluate Disparities: A Scoping Review Protocol

Introduction European research consistently highlights that women from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds are at higher risk of negative clinical outcomes and patient experience. However, problems with ethnicity data collection, coding, and use limit the capacity of healthcare systems to assess and respond accordingly. Objective This scoping review aims to map the current coding practices and describe the evidence base on 1) how ethnicity is defined and recorded in maternity care and clinical research in Europe, and 2) how ethnicity is analysed in studies involving maternity populations evaluating disparities in clinical outcomes. Inclusion criteria The Joanna Briggs Institute’ (JBI) population, concept and context (PCC) framework will structure this scoping review. Research studies eligible for inclusion will focus on maternity populations in European healthcare settings. Studies published from 2015 onwards, and in any language will be eligible for inclusion, encompassing both quantitative and mixed methods designs, as well as relevant grey literature. Methods A systematic search will be conducted using the following electronic databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus. The search strategy will be developed and pretested by the review team, following consultation with a research librarian to refine search syntax and terms. All identified records will be imported to a reference management tool and duplicates will be removed. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, and relevant literature will be selected based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data will be extracted using a structured form and synthesised to map the current landscape of ethnicity coding practices within European maternity care and research. Findings will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews checklist (PRISMA-ScR).