Chancengleiche Versorgung in der Geburtshilfe – Eine quantitative Erhebung zur Barrierefreiheit an geburtshilflichen Abteilungen in Österreich

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

2017

BackgroundApproximately 8% of all women of childbearing age in Austria live with permanent impairments. In everyday life, women with disabilities face various challenges and discrimination, among which the issue of pregnancy and motherhood, in particular, is often considered taboo, and their parenting abilities are doubted. Knowledge in the medical field about the experiences of women with disabilities during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium is limited.MethodsTo investigate the personal meanings and experiences of women with disabilities in regard to pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, in-depth individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten mothers with various mobility or sensory impairments who reside in Austria. The qualitative interview data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis proposed by Mayring.ResultsThree main themes or categories emerged from the inductive content analysis, namely, (i) the social network, (ii) self-efficacy and self-awareness and (iii) communication, transparency and information. Participants reported limited acceptance of their life decisions and experienced an environment of discriminatory attitudes. They experienced a lack of support and lack of confidence in their parenting abilities, which negatively influenced their self-efficacy and self-awareness. Violations of personal borders and a feeling of being watched and controlled were reported. Communication with health care professionals was often characterized by mutual aspects of fear, uncertainty and awkwardness, as perceived by women with disabilities. Adequate information about pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, particularly about measures taken and interventions applied, was frequently missing.ConclusionHeath care facilities need to be structured to ensure ease of access for women with disabilities. Education should be offered to health care professionals to improve knowledge about care for women with disabilities and to strengthen communication skills. All necessary information needs to be prepared and provided in an adequate manner. The establishment of a health-promoting environment for mothers, their children and their families requires a sensitive, respectful and non-judgmental attitude of society toward women with disabilities during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-017-1388-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Austrian mothers with mobility or sensory impairments during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium: a qualitative study

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

2017

“…To assess the current situation of maternity care for women with physical disabilities in Austria, we previously surveyed hospital ward managers for existing structural measures and implemented specific service offerings that ensure accessibility in obstetric wards [10]. While this survey revealed that obstetric departments largely conform to the requirements of the different building regulations, additional measures or adaptations of the inventory for women with physical disabilities were not implemented nationwide.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health professionals’ views on maternity care for women with physical disabilities: a qualitative study

2019

BMC Health Serv Res

Background During pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium, women receive care from a range of health professionals, particularly midwives. To assess the current situation of maternity care for women with physical disabilities in Austria, this study investigated the perceptions and experiences of health professionals who have provided care for women with disabilities during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Methods The viewpoints of the participating health professionals were evaluated by means of semistructured interviews followed by an inductive qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts, as proposed by Mayring. Results Four main categories emerged from the inductive content analysis: (i) structural conditions and accessibility, (ii) interprofessional teamwork and cooperation, (iii) action competence, and (iv) diversity-sensitive attitudes. According to the participating health professionals, the structural conditions were frequently not suitable for providing targeted group-oriented care services. Additionally, a shortage of time and staff resources also limited the necessary flexibility of treatment measures in the care of mothers with physical disabilities. The importance of interprofessional teamwork for providing adequate care was highlighted. The health professionals regarded interprofessionalism as an instrument of quality assurance and team meetings as an elementary component of high-quality care. On the other hand, the interviewees perceived a lack of action competence that was attributed to a low number of cases and a corresponding lack of experience and routine. Regarding diversity-sensitive attitudes, it became apparent that the topic of mothers with physical disabilities in care posed challenges to health professionals that influenced their natural handling of the interactions. Conclusion The awareness of one’s own attitudes towards diversity, in the perinatal context in particular, influences professional security and sovereignty as well as the quality of care of women with disabilities. There is a need for optimization in the support and care of women with physical disabilities during pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-4380-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Versorgung von Frauen mit Behinderungen in der Geburtshilfe

2021

Public Health Forum

Zusammenfassung Eine Schwangerschaft stellt im Leben von Frauen eine besondere Zeit dar, welche begleitet von unterschiedlichen psychischen und körperlichen Veränderungen einer guten Betreuung bedarf. In diesem Artikel werden die Ergebnisse eines Forschungsprojektes vorgestellt, das die Versorgung von Frauen mit sensorischen oder körperlichen Behinderungen während Schwangerschaft, Geburt und Wochenbett analysierte. Ziel war unterstützende aber auch diskriminierende Versorgungsstrukturen und Betreuungsstandards zu identifizieren. Entstigmatisierung, Optimierung der baulichen Gegebenheiten sowie Aufbau einer adäquaten Handlungs- und Kommunikationskompetenz bei den betreuenden Personen gelten demnach als Eckpfeiler einer qualitativ hochwertigen Versorgung von Frauen mit Behinderungen.