What accounts for physician opinions about midwifery in Canada?

The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of physicia ns practicing obstetrics in the province of Quebec, Canada and relate these to their opinions about midwifery practice. A self-administered questionna ire was sent to a systematic random sample of 844 physicians; 597 physician s answered (response rate = 71%). Results show that physicians who were mor e open to midwives had a more client-centered approach to maternity care. T hey had attended premed school outside Canada but received their specialty training in Canada. They also had often collaborated with midwives since th ey had begun practicing. Physicians who were more open to midwives were les s demanding in terms of level of midwife training. They agreed that midwive s should be self-regulating. It is concluded that greater knowledge of midw ives' practice, gained through collaboration in the workplace and interdisc iplinary education, could help physicians to better understand the signific ant contributions that midwives can make to the health care system. (C) 199 9 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.