scholarly journals Assessing maternal healthcare inequities among migrants: a qualitative study

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ligia Moreira Almeida ◽  
Jose Peixoto Caldas ◽  
Diogo Ayres-de-Campos ◽  
Sonia Dias

Considering pregnancy and motherhood as periods of increased vulnerability in migrant women, to characterize the healthcare provided to this collective, we sought to identify and understand patterns of satisfaction and demand of maternal and child healthcare, assessing women’s perceptions about its quality. The study followed a qualitative methodology (semi-structured interviews) for collecting and analysing data (content analysis) and was conducted in Porto, the second largest city of Portugal. Participants were 25 recent immigrant mothers from Eastern European countries, Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African countries and six native Portuguese recent mothers (for comparison), contacted through social associations and institutions. Data suggests that healthcare depends not only on accessibility but especially on social opportunities. Equitable public health action must provide individuals and groups the equal opportunity to meet their needs, which may not be achieved by providing the same standard if care to all.

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ligia Moreira Almeida ◽  
Jose Peixoto Caldas

OBJECTIVES: to characterize maternal and neonatal healthcare provided to Brazilian population, assessing key factors: access, use and quality of care received during this period. The goal was to assess possible differences regarding women's perceptions regarding the quality and appropriateness of care received, providing qualitative information, as part of a holistic perspective. METHODS: the present study adopted a qualitative methodology (semi-structured interviews) for collecting and analyzing data. Possible differences in women's perceptions regarding the quality and appropriateness of care received were assessed, providing qualitative information, as part of a holistic perspective. The present study was based on privileged information obtained from Brazilian women, residing in the metropolitan area of Porto, regardless of their legal status. RESULTS: a certain dissatisfaction emerged among Brazilian women regarding the quality of information provided by health professionals, the communications skills of these professionals, in addition to a perception of reduced access to medical specialties, especially in primary care. Misinformation about legal rights and inappropriate clarification during medical appointments were frequently reported and interacted with social determinants to result in poorer medical care. CONCLUSIONS: special attention should be given to the specific needs and understanding of immigrants during pregnancy and motherhood in order to improve healthcare. New challenges tend to lie not only in ensuring access, but mostly in promoting equity, as away of providing high-quality care for all.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 521
Author(s):  
Andréa Gosset ◽  
Marie Libérée Nishimwe ◽  
Mamadou Yaya Diallo ◽  
Lucas Deroo ◽  
Aldiouma Diallo ◽  
...  

Some African countries are still reluctant to introduce the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose (HepB-BD) into their expanded program of immunization (EPI), partly because of logistical, economic, and cost information constraints. To assist decision-makers in these countries, we assessed the economic and financial costs of HepB-BD introduction in Senegal in 2016. We performed a micro-costing study in a representative sample of Senegal’s EPI sites at all levels in 2018. Information on EPI and HepB-BD activity-related inputs and costs was collected using standardized questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Using inverse probability weighting, we computed weighted average costs associated with HepB-BD introduction for each EPI level, country-level aggregated costs and estimated costs per newborn. Economic and financial costs from a government perspective were estimated in US dollars for 2015, 2016 and 2017. Total economic costs were USD 143,364 in 2015, USD 759,406 in 2016 and USD 867,311 in 2017, while financial costs were USD 127,745, USD 82,519 and USD 29,853, respectively. When annualizing pre-introduction and initial training costs, the economic (financial) cost per vaccinated newborn was USD 2.10 (USD 0.30) in 2016 and USD 1.90 (USD 0.20) in 2017. Our estimates provide valuable information to implement HepB-BD in Sub-Saharan African countries that have not yet integrated this vaccine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Vilaça

Abstract The Regulation responds to legislation failures in the European regulatory framework on medical devices (MD), which in turn led to public health issues. Two media scandals triggered the final actions on the elaboration of this EU Regulation, which was already being thought off in a context of fast MD development, and on the commitment of member-states to harmonize legislation in order to better manage resources. This Regulation is expected to address detected gaps, and contribute to the protection of European citizens' health by ensuring high quality and safety of MD, through advocating for more transparency, vigilance, and traceability. A technique to evaluate policies is the implementation analysis, as it links theory and practice. By understanding it, it is possible to ascertain if, in fact, the Regulation will contribute, as proposed, to improve public health. The implementation analysis framework I developed can be used in other countries affected by this Regulation, and may even be extrapolated to other scenarios. Entry into force 25/05/17.Full application 05/20. This qualitative study uses document analysis and semi-structured interviews to collect data, and literature review to frame the situation and to study implementation analysis. The questions are: identify the facilitators and resistance points of the implementation; explore perceptions of the Portuguese MD distributors; understand the policy implementation pathway; and have a picture of the implementation status in Portugal. The results can be summarized as: implementers are interested in complying with the Regulation; there is stakeholder involvement in policy making and throughout the implementation process; the main points of resistance, difficulties and the facilitators are identified; and the Regulation is being implemented according to the timelines. The public health action brought by the policy is that each economic operator is an active actor on vigilance and patient safety across MD lifecycle. Key messages If we are interested in the extent to which a particular polity is able to solve the problems with which it is confronted, we need to study the way in which the law is executed in practice. Focus on the effective implementation of the new regulatory framework on medical devices to protect patients and ensure it addresses new and emerging challenges.


Author(s):  
Godwin Iretomiwa Simon

This article examines the contextual challenges that characterize the video on demand (VOD) market in Africa. It provides critical analysis of the creative strategies employed by Nigeria-based streaming services to navigate the peculiar business environment on the continent. This research is on the background of the poor Internet infrastructure and economic divides in many African countries including Nigeria. Streaming services operating in these markets must understand a context where Internet access is complicated on the levels of availability and/or affordability, including significant lack of confidence in e-payment facilities. All these, together with epileptic power supply and poor standard of living, indicate that streaming services must innovate to capture subscribers within the continent. Despite the harsh operational environment, streaming services in Nigeria have continued to increase in number within the past 5 years. This is attributed to the transnational reach of the streaming services as they are patronized by Africans in diaspora across the globe, while they also enjoy popularity within African countries. This article specifically focuses on the innovative strategies employed by Nigerian streaming services to operate within their African markets in the context of their peculiar challenges. In so doing, it extends extant scholarship about Internet-distributed video using the African context. This article is situated within the Media Industry Studies framework and draws from semi-structured interviews with 7 streaming executives in Nigeria and 10 creative professionals in the Nigerian Video Film Industry (Nollywood). It also relies on desk research of press reports, industry publications, as well as the interfaces of streaming portals. This article underscores the necessity of contextualized research with the digital turn in video distribution. Through contextualized analysis of VOD market realities in a less studied terrain like Africa, it aligns with scholarly call to expand theories of Internet-distributed video to marginal contexts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hankiz Dolan ◽  
Mu Li ◽  
Deborah Bateson ◽  
Rachel Thompson ◽  
Chun Wah Michael Tam ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In Australia, ethnic Chinese people are one of the largest, youngest and fastest growing overseas-born groups. Yet, little is known about their perceptions of contraceptive methods and their experiences with choosing one. Decisions about contraceptive methods are preference sensitive. Understanding the influencing factors of Chinese migrant women’s contraceptive method choice and practices will help cater to their decision-making needs in a culturally sensitive and responsive way. Methods A qualitative study design underpinned by critical realism approach was used to explore Chinese migrant women’s perceptions and experiences of choosing contraceptive methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 women who self-identified as being ethnically Chinese and had been living in Australia for no more than 10 years. The interview guide was adapted from the Ottawa Decision Support Framework. Majority of the interviews were conducted in Mandarin Chinese. Transcribed data was analysed using thematic analysis method. Results Four major themes were identified, including: ‘every medicine is part poison: hormonal contraceptives cause harm to the body’; ‘intrauterine device, a device used in the past for married women’; ‘it takes two (or one) to decide, depending on the relationship dynamics and contraception preferences’; and ‘it is not necessary to seek medical advice in choosing contraceptive methods’. Conclusions Our findings suggest that Chinese migrant women’s perceptions and experiences of choosing contraceptive methods are influenced by complex personal, cultural, societal and inter-relational factors. Chinese migrant women were cautious of using hormonal methods due to fears of side-effects, including reduced or absent menstrual bleeding. Women were also reluctant to consider intrauterine devices as options due to associating them with past experiences of other women and themselves and also fears of potential complications. There was a reluctant attitude towards seeking medical advice regarding contraception due to beliefs that needing to use contraception is not an illness requiring treatment. Such findings are likely to be useful in increasing healthcare professionals’ and policy makers’ understanding of Chinese migrant women’s contraceptive method preferences, beliefs and behaviours. They also help to develop culturally and linguistically sensitive strategies, which goes beyond the provision of contraceptive counselling, in assisting Chinese migrant women’s decision-making needs.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052198985
Author(s):  
Sally Marsden ◽  
Cathy Humphreys ◽  
Kelsey Hegarty

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and multifaceted problem gaining increasing attention within mental health research and practice. IPV explanations focus on both individual and systemic levels; however, it is increasingly acknowledged that a single level explanation may not be sufficient. The practices of clinical disciplines may, however, still privilege an explanation at one level over another, which will influence how they work with clients. It is likely that one such clinical group, psychologists, may play a critical role in helping victim-survivors to understand and explain their experiences of IPV. However, we were unable to find any studies focusing on women’s perceptions of psychologists’ role in this. Additionally, we know little about women victim-survivors’ perceptions of why their partners use IPV. To address these gaps, the research question for this study was: What explanations resonate during counseling for women in understanding their partner’s abuse? To explore this question, 20 women who had seen psychologists after experiencing IPV participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and three themes constructed from the data. The first two themes, narcissist description was helpful and not all bad all the time, showed that the women found it powerful in their healing processes when psychologists offered the opportunity to discuss their partners individual characteristics as explanations for their use of IPV. The third theme, structural explanations, showed that some of the women also reflected on wider structural contexts. Implications for clinical practice include the potential healing effect when practitioners can move along a continuum of explanation levels, covering both the inner and outer worlds. Implications for research into IPV perpetration are that women hold expertise and insight into individual perpetrators and could make valuable contributions to this field.


Author(s):  
Duygu Ayhan Baser ◽  
Özge Mıhcı ◽  
Meltem Tugce Direk ◽  
Mustafa Cankurtaran

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the attitudes, views and solution proposals of family physicians (FPs) about primary healthcare problems of Syrian refugee patients. This study would be the very first study for Turkey that evaluates the attitudes, views and solution proposals of FPs about primary healthcare problems of Syrian refugee patients. Background: Following the anti-regime demonstrations that started in March 2011, the developments in Syria created one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world and the largest number of asylum seekers continue to be hosted in Turkey. There are some studies evaluating asylum seekers’ access to healthcare services in Europe, and the common result is that refugees have free access to primary healthcare services in most countries; however, they face many obstacles when accessing primary healthcare services. While there are studies in the literature evaluating the situation of access to primary healthcare services from the perspective of asylum seekers; there are few studies evaluating the opinions/views of FPs. Methods: A qualitative methodology informed by the grounded theory was used to guide the research. A total of 20 FPs were interviewed face to face through semi-structured interviews, using 12 questions about their lived experience and views caring of refugee population. Interviews were analysed thematically. Finding: The following themes were revealed: Benefiting from Primary Health Care Services, Benefiting from Rights, Differences Between the Approach/Attitudes of Turkish Citizens and Refugees, Barriers to Healthcare Delivery, Training Needs of Physicians, Solution proposals. FPs reported that there is a need for support in primary care and a need for training them and refugees in this regard and they specified refugee healthcare centres are the best healthcare centres for refugees; however, the number of these and provided services should be increased.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Jenny Ceolta-Smith ◽  
Christine Kenney

Background/aims Healthcare professionals play an important role in vocational rehabilitation for people receiving welfare support. The research questions for this study were: how do qualified healthcare professionals operate in UK welfare-to-work settings? What factors influence healthcare professionals' practice within a UK welfare-to-work setting? Methods A qualitative methodology was adopted. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted and additional documents (the awarded Work and Health Programme bids and job descriptions) about the healthcare professionals' roles were reviewed. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. Results Five themes were generated from the interview data: supporting frontline staff to understand clients' health needs; moving clients with complex needs closer to work; getting it right for the client by individualising support; gaining consent and maintaining confidentiality; and seeking and organising clinical supervision. These themes were corroborated with the document data. Conclusions Healthcare professionals have a key role within welfare-to-work provision. Further research is needed to determine if the proposed healthcare professional roles have come to fruition, to identify their prevalence, and to explore their effectiveness.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 562-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Mornata ◽  
Iolanda Cassar

Purpose This study aims to focus on newcomers’ learning strategies when they perceive organizational socialization support to be lacking, and on interpersonal characteristics that insiders should possess to support the newcomers’ proactive behaviors in this context. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through 14 face-to-face, in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed with a conventional content analysis method (Paillé and Mucchielli, 2013), involving first a thematic analysis and afterward, a conceptual analysis using MaxQDA11©. Findings The authors’ analysis highlights that when newcomers perceive the formal organizational socialization support as lacking, they regulate their proactive behaviors by seeking indirect guidance, and more precisely, by engaging in informal interactions with insiders likely to help them socialize. These interactions can have a cost in terms of self-image, so newcomers regulate their proactive behaviors by looking for insiders perceived to be psychologically safe, even if they have to look for them in other working contexts. Practical implications Considering the regulation process of newcomers’ proactive behaviors according to their perceptions, human resources management should focus on those perceptions and develop a blended learning approach including formal learning programs, as well as individualized support to facilitate on-the-job learning and respond to personal needs. Special consideration should also be given to interpersonal skills displayed by insiders. Originality/value The originality of the study is the use of a qualitative methodology focusing on newcomers’ main learning strategy according to their perception of organizational socialization support and the psychological safety climate. The limitations of the authors’ work are the size of the study population and the fact that part of the interviewees were successfully socialized by reaching 15 months on their new post at the point where the interviews were conducted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Kaminska ◽  
Stefano Borzillo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the challenges to the emergence of a learning organization (LO) posed by a context of generational diversity and an enterprise social networking system (ESNS). Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative methodology based on an analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews in a high-tech organization and internal company documents relating to the introduction of a new, centralized ESNS. Findings This study uncovers fundamental differences between Generation X and Y employees regarding their ESNS adoption and use. While Xers take more time to adopt the new centralized ESNS introduced into the company, their use seems in line with the company culture and corporate norms of behavior. At the same time, even if Yers are faster ESNS adopters, they use it as they use Facebook disregarding the hierarchy and organizational boundaries. This creates tensions between Generation X and Y and undermines the formation of the LO. Research limitations/implications As conclusions are specific to a context of a single organization, the authors recommend other case studies, to enrich the findings. Originality/value By highlighting how the use of social networks modifies who has the power and the control over knowledge in an organization, this paper enriches the theory on the LO. It has implications for managers wishing to design LOs in the context of intergenerational diversity.


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