Women’s views on contact with a health visitor during pregnancy: an interview study

Abstract

Aim: To explore recent mothers’ views of the health visiting antenatal contact in England. Background: English health visitors are mandated to be in contact with all women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The aim of this antenatal contact is to assess the needs of the family before the birth and support preparation for parenthood. Recent data show that this contact is provided fragmentarily and not always face-to-face. More information on how women view this contact could inform service provision. Methods: Twenty-nine mothers with a baby less than 1 year old were recruited via social media and word of mouth. Having had antenatal contact with a health visitor was not a requirement to participate in the study. Women took part in face-to-face or phone interviews and all recordings were transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using systematic thematic analysis. Findings: Eleven women had contact with a health visitor during pregnancy: nine through a home visit, one via a letter and one via a phone call. The remaining 18 women were asked about what they would have wanted from an antenatal contact. Three themes were identified: relationship building, information provision, and mode and time of contact. Some participants who had experienced a home visit reported building rapport with their health visitor before the postnatal period, but not everyone had this experience. Women reported requesting and receiving information about the health visiting service and the role of the health visitor. Finally, women suggested different modes of contact, suggesting a letter or that the information about health visiting could be provided by a midwife. A few women preferred a home visit. These study findings show women were unclear regarding the aim of the health visitor antenatal contact. As such, the contact is unlikely to reach its full potential in supporting parents-to-be.

Three perspectives on the co-location of maternity services: qualitative interviews with mothers, midwives and health visitors

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The Mountain Model for Evidence-Based Practice Quality Improvement Initiatives

“…After searching research databases, the nurse critically appraises the external evidence she has found (EBP level). She learns that nurse-led models of care have been used successfully to provide prenatal care, especially in other countries 22. In the United Kingdom, for example, nurses have provided prenatal and postpartum care to patients in their homes, and this service was perceived by patients as extremely valuable.…”

Towards an understanding of GPs’ viewpoint on diagnosing postnatal depression in general practice: a small-scale realist evaluation

“…This is important as a patient's apparent health at the surgery may differ from the reality of their health at home. Olander et al's (2019) paper expresses how home visits are one of the 'triad of core practices' as they form an opportunistic setting for building rapport and uncovering withheld health needs.…”

“…Lines of communication with other health professionals and the degree to which information is fed back may go some way in helping to diagnose a new mother with postnatal depression because of the clues that are picked up during this home visit. However, a few participants described how government policy directives have changed the structure of working for health visitors and the impact this has had on interdisciplinary communication and continuity of primary care services for mothers (Derrett and Burke, 2006;Olander et al, 2019). For example, health visitors are no longer allocated to individual practices and instead work collectively and are assigned to wherever there is patient demand with the intention of increasing shared workload and professional support (Cowley et al, 2013;Aquino et al, 2016).…”