{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T14:55:20Z","timestamp":1787237720361,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"0","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,30]],"date-time":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1745971200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0Medical litigations are rising and becoming a global challenge. The multilayered demands of midwifery-related conditions and the multiple responsibilities of the midwifery team contribute to possible litigations. Midwife specialists in South Africa are trained to provide specialised midwifery care to improve outcomes for patients with midwifery-related complications. While midwife specialists are equipped with specialised knowledge and skills, no specific practice regulations exist to protect them against possible medical litigations.\n\nAim:\u00a0The study aimed to explore and describe medico-legal experts\u2019 experiences of midwife specialists optimally utilising their knowledge and skills.\n\nSetting:\u00a0The context of the study is the public and private sectors of South Africa.\n\nMethods:\u00a0A qualitative, descriptive and contextual research design was employed. Six medico-legal experts identified through a snowball sampling technique participated in virtual, semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Collaizi\u2019s descriptive method.\n\nResults:\u00a0Three themes with subthemes emerged. Results confirmed that medico-legal experts recognised the midwife specialists\u2019 expanded knowledge and skill set. The medico-legal experts experienced a disconnect between training regulations and the current practice regulations. Midwife specialists\u2019 practice was experienced as being guided by a moral obligation rather than prescribed regulations.\n\nConclusion:\u00a0Midwife specialists are yet to receive full legal recognition in South Africa, challenging midwife specialists\u2019 assumption of autonomous and independent roles.\n\nContribution:\u00a0Midwife specialists face potential risk of involvement in medical litigations under the current legislative framework. The findings of this study may guide the formulation of a scope of practice (SOP) that legally guides midwife specialists\u2019 practice in South Africa.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/hsag.v30i0.2851","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,30]],"date-time":"2025-04-30T04:06:11Z","timestamp":1745985971000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["South African midwife specialists practice: Medico-legal experts\u2019 experiences"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8974-4660","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kagiso P.","family":"Tukisi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003hsr719","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3345-4717","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zelda","family":"Janse van Rensburg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04z6c2n17","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Johannesburg"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0864-5834","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wanda","family":"Jacobs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04z6c2n17","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Johannesburg"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Adeyemo, O.O., Morelli, E.E. & Kennedy, H.P., 2022, \u2018How to foster effective midwife-obstetrician collaboration on labor and birth units: Qualitative analysis of experiences of clinicians in the United States\u2019, Journal of Midwifery & Women\u2019s Health 67(5), 552\u2013560. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/jmwh.13382","DOI":"10.1111\/jmwh.13382"},{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Adler, R.H., 2022, \u2018Trustworthiness in qualitative research\u2019, Journal of Human Lactation 38(4), 598\u2013602. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/08903344221116620","DOI":"10.1177\/08903344221116620"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Basu, J.K., 2023, \u2018District clinical specialist teams: A major change agent in South African\u2019, Annals of Medical Science and Research 2(3), 129\u2013131. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/amsr.amsr_55_23","DOI":"10.4103\/amsr.amsr_55_23"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Boman, E., Levy, M.R. & Fagerstr\u00f6m, L., 2020, \u2018Differences and similarities in scope of practice between registered nurses and nurse specialists in emergency care: An interview study\u2019, Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 34(2), 492\u2013500. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/scs.12753","DOI":"10.1111\/scs.12753"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Buchanan, K., Newnham, E., Ireson, D., Davison, C. & Geraghty, S., 2022, \u2018Care ethics framework for midwifery practice: A scoping review\u2019, Nursing Ethics 29(5), 1107\u20131133. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/09697330221073996","DOI":"10.1177\/09697330221073996"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dolo, O., Clack, A., Gibson, H., Lewis, N. & Southall, D.P., 2016, \u2018Training of midwives in advanced obstetrics in Liberia\u2019, Bulletin of the World Health Organization 94(5), 383\u2013387.","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.15.160473"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Downie, S., Walsh, J., Kirk-Brown, A. & Haines, T.P., 2023, \u2018How can scope of practice be described and conceptualised in medical and health professions? 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