Patient-Provider Satisfaction and Communication in U.S. Prenatal Care: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: This is a systematic review on patient-provider satisfaction in U.S. prenatal care by addressing the following research question: What factors influence patient-provider satisfaction during prenatal care? METHODS: Thirty six online databases were searched for peer-reviewed research from February to September of 2018 using 10 key terms published in English on U.S. populations between the years 1993-2018 on the topic of provider communication skills and patient satisfaction in the prenatal context. Searches yielded 2563 articles. After duplicates were reviewed and eligibility determined, 32 articles met criteria and were included in the final content analysis. All reported study variables were entered into EXCEL, data reported in each study were analyzed by two people for inter-rater reliability and included in the qualitative content analysis. Two researchers also utilized assessment tools to assess the quality of the articles. RESULTS: Results indicate the importance of good patient-provider communication, that patients have a need for more information on a plethora of topics, and that Hispanic and African American women reported less satisfaction. DISCUSSION: We recommend that future studies measure potentially significant themes not adequately present in the reviewed studies such as practitioner demographics (e.g. gender, years of experience, or race/ethnicity), mothers under 18 years of age, inclusion of religious minorities, patients with differing immigration statuses, and patients with disabilities.

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in General Education Courses.

While much of the promotion for undergraduate research (UR) originates from the natural sciences, this high-impact practice should also occur in social science to prepare students for graduate school/ the workforce and should be integrated into lower-division general education courses. Our study examines content and skills gained by students from two course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in Introduction to Sociology courses. Pre- and post-course survey analyses, post-survey student outcomes of a CURE class compared against students enrolled in three non-CURE Introduction to Sociology classes, and a content analysis of end-of-semester papers indicate student knowledge gain in specific topical areas, methodological skills, and major sociology theoretical perspectives. We conclude that UR enhances research- and sociology-related knowledge.

The COVID-19 pandemic: A focusing event to promote community midwifery policies in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented stress on health care systems across the globe. This stress has altered prenatal, labor, delivery, and postpartum care in the U.S., motivating many pregnant people to seek maternal health care with community midwives in a home or freestanding birth center setting. Although the dominant maternal health care providers across the globe, community midwives work on the margins of the U.S. health care system, in large part due to policy restrictions. This commentary extends previous research to theorize that the COVID-19-related disrupted health care system and the heightened visibility of community midwives may create a "focusing event," or policy window, which may enable midwives and their advocates to shift policy.

Photovoice: Integrating Course-Based Research in Undergraduate and Graduate Social Work Education.

Research skills are vital to students' professional careers and must be cultivated in the social work curriculum. While students and faculty may hesitate to participate in a course-based research project, the authors believe that the Photovoice method is easily adapted to a variety of class and student needs. Photovoice is a field-oriented and qualitative research method that visually documents and communicates community assets and needs. The first purpose of this article is to offer Photovoice as a potential model for instructors to implement a course-based research project. The second purpose is to quantitatively assess changes in students' reported confidence in social work topics and research activities. Data revealed that the students reported increased confidence in the majority of the content and research evaluated; content examples include economic justice and determinants of social inequalities; research examples include analysing data for patterns and identifying the limitations of research methods. The data illustrate the pedagogical power of Photovoice.

Community-based maternal health workers' perspectives on heat risk and safety: a pilot qualitative study.

In this study the authors examined how maternal health workers (MHWs) perceive the health risks of extreme heat exposure to pregnant women and fetuses. The authors conducted interviews with 12 MHWs (including midwives and doulas) in El Paso, Texas. Using qualitative analysis, the researchers identified numerous themes. Although heat was not communicated as a major health risk, participants expressed some concern with growing heat exposure and communicated standard protective measures. While all participants were familiar with some heat illness symptoms, they were generally unaware of their clients' vulnerability. MHWs' minimal heat-risk knowledge leaves pregnant women and developing fetuses at risk of preventable harm.

Another disaster: Access to abortion after Hurricane Harvey.

The devastating effects of natural hazards uncover and exacerbate social inequalities, yet reproductive health outcomes are often overlooked. Despite a small but growing literature on gender and disaster-related impacts, there are no studies to date to our knowledge on the intersection of abortion and disasters, which is important because abortion is common in the U.S. and is a critical component of comprehensive reproductive healthcare yet is routinely inaccessible due to a lack of health insurance coverage and other policy barriers. This is a qualitative case study of 8 individuals who required abortion services in Texas at the time of Hurricane Harvey. The study sample comes from caller data from a local Texas abortion fund. We present caller demographics, which reveal nonwhite patients in later trimesters struggling economically. Callers display a need for funding, particularly for travel, and were affected by interpersonal and sexual violence. We conclude with policy and research implications for disaster planners, domestic violence organizations, state and federal officials, and health insurers.