The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of operative vaginal birth among obstetric providers in Egypt. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• What is the level of knowledge among obstetric providers regarding operative vaginal birth?
• What are the attitudes and practices of obstetric providers towards operative vaginal birth?

Participants will:

• Complete a detailed questionnaire assessing their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to operative vaginal birth.
• Provide demographic information to contextualize their responses.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Licensed Obstetricians: Only obstetricians who are currently licensed to practice in Egypt.
• Active Practice: Obstetricians who are actively practicing in hospitals or clinics in Egypt.
• Experience: Obstetricians with a minimum of one year of experience in obstetrics and gynecology.
• Consent: Willingness to participate and provide informed consent.
• Language: Ability to understand and complete the questionnaire in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-Obstetricians: Healthcare providers who are not obstetricians.
• Inactive Practice: Obstetricians who are not currently practicing in Egypt.
• Insufficient Experience: Obstetricians with less than one year of experience in the field.
• Non-Consent: Individuals who do not provide informed consent to participate in the study.
• Language Barrier: Obstetricians who are unable to understand and complete the questionnaire in English.

This study focuses exclusively on obstetricians and gynecologists practicing in Egypt. These healthcare professionals are actively involved in providing obstetric care and have direct experience with operative vaginal births. Participants will be recruited from various healthcare settings, including public and private hospitals, ensuring a diverse representation of clinical perspectives and experiences across different practice environments within Egypt.

As part of this study, Individual Participant Data (IPD) will be shared to facilitate transparency and enable further research in the field of operative vaginal birth practices among obstetricians and gynecologists in Egypt. De-identified IPD will include demographic information, responses from the questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to operative vaginal birth, and any additional data pertinent to the study outcomes. Access to the IPD will be granted to researchers with approved proposals demonstrating scientific merit and ethical approval. Data will be made available through a secure, encrypted transfer mechanism, and all users will be required to sign a Data Use Agreement (DUA) outlining terms for responsible data use and confidentiality.

Data collection for the study will commence on [1, July, 2014] and conclude by [30, October, 2024]. IPD will be accessible for sharing beginning [30, December, 2024] and will remain available for a period of [2 years] following publication of primary study results.

Access to IPD will be granted to researchers with scientifically sound proposals aimed at advancing knowledge in the field of operative vaginal birth practices among obstetricians and gynecologists in Egypt. Proposals must include evidence of ethical approval from an institutional review board or equivalent ethics committee. Researchers affiliated with recognized academic, medical, or research institutions will be eligible. Access requests will be evaluated based on the scientific merit of the proposal, feasibility of the research aims, and potential contribution to improving health outcomes. All users must sign a Data Use Agreement (DUA) ensuring confidentiality, ethical data use, and prohibiting attempts to re-identify participants.