Postpartum during a pandemic: Challenges of low-income individuals with healthcare interactions during COVID-19.

Postpartum during a pandemic: Challenges of low-income individuals with healthcare interactions during COVID-19.

Blog Article

BackgroundChanges to the healthcare system due to COVID-19 have altered care delivery during birth and the postpartum period, a transitional time that requires intensive healthcare support and that is complicated by well-established health disparities.Our objective was to identify additional challenges to healthcare interactions that emerged for low-income postpartum individuals during the pandemic.MethodsThis is a qualitative investigation of low-income postpartum individuals enrolled in a trial of postpartum care, who gave birth in the United States in the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic.Participants completed in-depth semi-structured interviews that addressed healthcare experiences during and after birth, both for in-person and telemedicine encounters.

Transcripts were analyzed using lightemupsequences.com the constant comparative method.ResultsOf 46 eligible individuals, 87% (N = 40) completed an interview, with 50% identifying as non-Hispanic Black and 38% as Hispanic.Challenges were organized into three domains: unanticipated changes in the birth experience, delayed care, and perceived disadvantages of telemedicine.Changes in the birth experience addressed uncertainty about COVID-19 status, COVID-19 testing, separation from newborn, and visitor restrictions.

Delayed care themes addressed footjoy weste herren logistical challenges, postpartum care, health maintenance, and pediatric care.Participants reported multiple telemedicine-related challenges, including difficulty establishing rapport with providers.ConclusionsUnderstanding the challenges experienced by low-income peripartum individuals as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves is critical to informing guidelines and diminishing inequities in healthcare delivery.Potential solutions that may mitigate limitations to care in the pandemic include emphasizing shared decision-making in care processes and developing communication strategies to improve telemedicine rapport.