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The lived experience of receiving and providing antenatal care during the Covid-19 crisis in Southern Europe: An exploratory qualitative study
Language
EN
Article de revue
This item was published in
Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. 2024-03-01, vol. 39, p. 100949
English Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The Covid-19 pandemic led to a reorganization of antenatal care including the cancellation or shift into telemedicine of consultations and restrictions to the presence of an accompanying person. The aim was to ...Read more >
OBJECTIVE: The Covid-19 pandemic led to a reorganization of antenatal care including the cancellation or shift into telemedicine of consultations and restrictions to the presence of an accompanying person. The aim was to explore healthcare professionals' and women's lived experience of such reorganisation consequences on the quality of care and specific challenges they faced, with a particular emphasis on telemedicine and equity. METHODS: Exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions of women and healthcare providers in New Aquitaine (France) and in the Basque Country (Spain). We collected data from a purposive sampling of women (n = 33) and professionals (n = 19) who had received or provided antenatal care in hospitals and ambulatory facilities between March 2020 and December 2021. Participants' narratives were thematically analysed to identify themes that were subsequently contextualised to the two territories. RESULTS: Antenatal care professionals and pregnant women experienced strong emotions and suffered from organizational changes that compromised the quality and equity of care. The pandemic and associated restrictions were sources of emotional distress, fear and loneliness, especially among more disadvantaged and isolated women. Among professionals, the lack of adequate means of protection and the multiple changes in caring protocols generated burnout, feeling of abandonment and emotional distress. CONCLUSIONS: The Covid-19 experience should serve to critically consider the unexpected consequences of reorganising healthcare services and the need to meet patients' needs, with a particular consideration for disadvantaged groups. Future scenarios of telemedicine generalisation should consider a combination of in presence and remote consultations ensuring antenatal care quality and equity.Read less <
English Keywords
Antenatal care
Covid-19
Midwifes
Telemedicine
Women