Objective: To explore midwives' views about research and their perceived barriers to research utilisation.
Setting: Thirty-two midwives from four midwifery units in the north west of England. The units ranged in size from a small district unit (52 midwives, and 1200 deliveries per annum), to a large regional centre (290 midwives, 6500 deliveries per annum).
Methods: Midwives' opinions concerning research were explored using focus group interviews; within the interviews midwives were asked to discuss how they viewed the relevance of research to midwifery care, the constraints which they felt prevented them from delivering research-based care and existing and potential methods of disseminating research.
Findings: There was a consensus among the midwives that they aspired to deliver research-based care. However, there are clearly a number of barriers preventing this. Research was poorly accessible to most midwives, both in terms of its physical location and complexity. Furthermore, midwives felt they lacked the knowledge and skills to appraise research, and lacked the confidence to judge when research should be implemented.
Conclusions: The current trend to demedicalise childbirth demands that midwives become proficient users of research. However, the means of disseminating research findings to midwives in the north west of England does not meet their needs.