Research Day
"THE QUICKER THEY COULD BE DONE WITH ME, THE BETTER": WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVES ON TIME, EQUITY, AND QUALITY PERINATAL HEALTHCARE
Document Type
Abstract
Date
2021
Abstract
Background: Provider-patient mis-communication is identified by infant mortality (IM) review teams across the nation. Two-thirds of IM-reviews in Kalamazoo issued recommendations to strengthen communication. Women's perinatal care feedback is critical to create equitable, quality, patient-centered care and improve health outcomes.
Objective: The goal was to elicit perspectives from a diverse set of women regarding communication barriers they faced and advice for improving perinatal care.
Materials and Methods: Women were pre-recruited from the Mom's Health Experience Survey into the Community Voice (n=57). Topics explored were perinatal healthcare experiences. Focus group discussions were led using semi-structured interviews. Conversations were transcribed, reviewed, and consensus-coded for themes.
Results and Discussion: Dominant themes related to how care delivery systems structure provider-patient communication. Three structural elements emerged from focus group data: continuity of care, adequate information exchange, and visit time. Barriers included: mandated provider changes, rotating providers, lack of communication between providers, lack of time for relationship formation and exchange information with healthcare providers. Facilitators to high-quality patient communication and care included continuity of care from pre-conception throughout the postpartum period, communication between the healthcare team, online portals, and relationships with healthcare providers.
Conclusion: Continuity of care, adequate information exchange, and sufficient time were three critical elements to patient-centered communication. Healthcare organizations should consider allocating more time for perinatal office visits and strategies for making the most of the visit time available, prioritizing continuity within and across encounters, and streamlining information exchange.