Bridging the Expertise of Advocates and Academics to Identify Reproductive Justice Learning Outcomes

Abstract

Phenomenon: Reproductive justice (RJ) is defined by women of color advocates as the right to have children, not have children and parent children while maintaining reproductive autonomy. In the United States, physicians have been complicit in multiple historical reproductive injustices, involving coercive sterilization of thousands of people of color, low income, and disabilities. Currently, reproductive injustices continue to occur; however, physicians have no formal RJ medical education to address injustices. The objective of this study was to engage leading advocates within the movement using a Delphi method to identify critical components for such a curriculum. Approach: In 2016, we invited 65 RJ advocates and leaders to participate in an expert panel to design RJ medical education. A 3-round Delphi survey was distributed electronically to identify content for inclusion in an RJ curriculum. In the next 2 survey rounds, experts offered feedback and revisions and rated agreement with including content recommendations in the final curriculum. We calculated descriptive statistics to analyze quantitative data. A team with educational expertise wrote learning outcomes based on expert content recommendations. Findings: Of the 65 RJ advocates and leaders invited, 41 participated on the expert panel of the Delphi survey. In the first survey, the expert panel recommended 58 RJ content areas through open-ended response. Over the next 2 rounds, there was consensus among the panel to include 52 of 58 of these areas in the curriculum. Recommended content fell into 11 broad domains: access, disparities, and structural competency; advocacy; approaches to reproductive healthcare; contemporary law and policy; cultural safety; historical injustices; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and intersex health; oppression, power, and bias training; patient care; reproductive health; and RJ definitions. The 97 learning outcomes created from this process represented both unique and existing educational elements. Insights: A collaborative methodology infused with RJ values can bridge experts in advocacy and academics. New learning outcomes identified through this process can enhance medical education; however, it is just as important to consider education in RJ approaches to care as it is knowledge about that care. We must explore the pedagogic process of RJ medical education while considering that expertise in this area may exist outside of the medical community and thus there is a need to partner with RJ advocates. Finally, we expect to use innovative teaching methods to transform medical education and achieve an RJ focus.

Reproductive justice and black lives: A concept analysis for public health nursing

“…This action eliminated all articles in nursing/midwifery and left us with 37 articles, which were read in full. From this group, we identified eight articles that met inclusion criteria from the following disciplines: arts and humanities (Combellick‐Bidney & Genis, 2018), public health (Fried, 2013), education and healthcare (Loder et al., 2019), law and sociology (Luna & Luker, 2013), women's studies (Price, 2008), African studies/history (Price, 2010), political science/social issues (Roberts, 2015), and ethnic studies (Ross, 2017a). These articles produced a comprehensive understanding of the concept including historical foundations of the movement, and educational implications.…”

“…Six articles addressed the epistemological aspects of the reproductive justice framework (Combellick‐Bidney & Genis, 2018; Fried, 2013; Loder et al., 2019; Price, 2008, 2010; Ross, 2017a). Three categories of knowledge emerged from these articles (individual knowledge, collective knowledge, and praxis).…”

“…Praxis was identified as a practical application of reproductive justice, with the purpose of liberation for those who have embodied oppression (Fried, 2013; Loder et al., 2019; Price, 2008; Ross, 2017a). When the emphasis shifts to race as a source of power, rather than a negative social location, racial stereotypes are challenged (Ross, 2017a).…”

“…Two authors provided examples of such transformations through praxis (Fried, 2013; Loder et al., 2019). Loder et al.…”

“…Loder et al. (2019) performed a Delphi study with reproductive justice advocates and experts to develop a national medical education curriculum. They hypothesized that a reproductive justice curriculum could help change knowledge, skills, and attitudes at the provider level to better serve marginalized communities and reduce health injustices at the point of care.…”