Wait a Minute or More (WAMM): a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster randomised implementation trial assessing the effect of a quality improvement programme on the proportion of infants achieving delayed cord clamping more than 60 s in infants <37 weeks’ gestation in up to 20 maternity hospitals

Introduction: Delayed cord clamping (DCC) is an evidence-based intervention that reduces mortality, anaemia and disability in infants born <37 weeks’ gestation who do not require immediate resuscitation. However, it is neither reliably recorded nor routinely implemented in Australia. The Wait a Minute or More (WAMM) study aims to reduce this gap between the evidence and practice by integrating timely sharing of cord clamping data with Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality methods to increase the proportion of preterm infants receiving DCC for 60s or longer (DCC60). 

Methods: The WAMM study is a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster randomised trial (SW-CRT), informed by the Integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework. Up to 20 Australian maternity hospitals will participate in this pragmatic SW-CRT to evaluate if in (Population) infants <37 weeks’ gestation who do not need resuscitation, does (Intervention) the WAMM intervention (sharing of anonymised data on DCC60, together with a locally adapted quality improvement (QI) programme), compared with (Control) sharing of anonymised data on DCC60 alone, increase (primary Outcome) the proportion of infants receiving DCC60? At the end of 72weeks, all sites will complete an 8-week period without the WAMM intervention to evaluate if implementation of DCC is sustained. Alongside the SW-CRT, an embedded process evaluation will assess the fidelity, acceptability, mechanisms of action and contextual barriers and enablers of the WAMM intervention. 

Discussion: Using the stepped wedged design and guided by an explicit implementation framework (i-PARIHS), WAMM will provide information on the effectiveness and transferability of a locally adapted QI method to improve DCC60. If proven effective, ultimately scaling up the WAMM intervention globally will greatly improve childhood anaemia, death, disability and long-term costs.

Trial registration number: ACTRN12624000035527