Mechanisms for racial separation and inequitable maternal care in hospital maternity wards.

Few studies have examined mechanisms of racial maternal separation (RMS) of birthing mothers in hospital maternity wards (MWs), and how separation might reinforce institutional healthcare racism and discrimination, leading to inequitable maternal care (MC). In Israel, while birth mothers report mostly pleasant experiences, RMS has become a matter of public debate. Although the Ministry of Health (MoH) condemns the practice, birthing Palestinian-Arab women have sued hospitals for discrimination after being assigned to separate MW rooms from other women. We drew on critical race theory (CRT) and intersectionality to uncover mechanisms for RMS and inequitable MC in hospital MWs at three levels-policy, practice, and women's experiences. In 2019-2020 we conducted 10 in-depth interviews with hospital directors (HDs) and 8 focus groups (FGs) with 40 midwives and nurses; then, in 2020-2021, we held 26 in-depth Zoom interviews with birthing women. Our findings reveal intersecting mechanisms for RMS through which structural racism and institutional discrimination outside hospitals in the form of ethno-racial residential segregation penetrate hospitals via women's requests to maintain separation in MWs. While all HDs opposed RMS and prized quality care, they instituted insufficient mechanisms to prohibit racial separation, which helped to institutionalize the practice. Commodification of Healthcare services (HCS) accelerates RMS as hospitals compete for funds derived from birthing mothers' care. Under the guise of cultural sensitivity and indirect pressure of hospital management, nursing staff comply with requests for RMS. Nurses assigned rooms based on stereotypical categorizations of women's group membership (ethno-national, religiosity level, class). RMS targeted mostly visibly religious Muslim Palestinian-Arab women. These mothers felt MC discrimination; others normalized RMS as preference. While the MoH cannot eliminate outside-hospital structural discrimination, more efforts should be made to eradicate inside-hospital RMS, as the practice violates the principle of universality enshrined in the National Health Insurance Law.

Maternity staff immunization coverage against pertussis and maternal vaccination practices: Results of a 2017 cross-sectional survey in five public maternity hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct an audit of vaccination practices against pertussis in maternity wards to assess immunization practices targeting women, knowledge and awareness among health professionals and their involvement in the vaccination process, and to estimate their vaccine coverage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2017 cross-sectional descriptive survey using a data collection sheet of immunization practices targeting women and an anonymous questionnaire for health professionals whose vaccine coverage had been documented by the occupational health service. RESULTS: Five public maternity wards participated: one had a vaccination policy for women; 426 of 822 health professionals completed the questionnaire, 76% (from 50% of all residents to 83% of nurses) declared their vaccination status as up to date. Staff files in occupational health services showed that 69% of 822 health professionals received at least one vaccine booster during adulthood (57% less than 10 years before the survey); documented vaccination coverage rates ranged from 75% for residents to 91% for senior physicians. Occupational physicians and family physicians respectively performed 41% and 34% of vaccinations. While knowledge regarding vaccines was good, only 47% of health professionals declared prescribing them and 18% declared administering the anti-pertussis vaccine "often" or "very often". CONCLUSIONS: Updated data is needed to confirm the reported increase as participating centers are not representative of all birth centers. The active role of health professionals in vaccination-based pertussis prevention needs to be reinforced.

Ações de cuidado na maternidade para prematuros tardios / Care actions at maternity wardsfor late preterms

Objective: To reflect about care actions toward late preterms and their mothers, based on good practices for newborn care. Methods: Reflexive-theoretical essay that discusses care actions in the first 24 hours of life of late preterms and the connection of said actions with good practices for newborn care. Results: It is worth highlighting the importance of care in the first hour of life of late preterms, especially stimulation through skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding and thermoregulation. Further Considerations: Informing families about late prematurity is an aspect of great relevance to these newborns' health, along with including assistance-oriented actions to be taken by several professionals in view of the specific care needs of late preterms.

Objetivo: Refletir acerca das ações de cuidados aos prematuros tardios e suas mães apoiado nas boas práticas para a atenção ao recém-nascido. Métodos: Ensaio teórico-reflexivo, o qual discute as ações de cuidado nas primeiras 24 horas de vida dos prematuros tardios e sua relação com as boas práticas para a atenção ao recém-nascido.Resultados: Destaca-se a importância do cuidado na primeira hora de vida de prematuros tardios, especialmente o estímulo ao contato pele a pele e à amamentação, e a termorregulação. Considerações Finais: Fornecer informação à família sobre a prematuridade tardia é um dos aspectos de grande relevância no cuidado a estes recém-nascidos e incluir ações assistenciais de diversos profissionais frente à necessidade dos cuidados aos prematuros tardios.

Impact of a vaccination promotion intervention using motivational interview techniques on long-term vaccine coverage: the PromoVac strategy.

BACKGROUND: Delayed vaccinations at 2, 4, and 6 months are associated with a higher probability of delayed age-appropriate vaccination during childhood. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an information session on immunization during infancy. METHODS: An individual educational information session with motivational interview techniques for immunization of infants was conducted (experimental group) or not conducted (control group) during postpartum stay in a quasi-experimental cohort study. Immunization data were collected from the Eastern Townships Public Health registry at 3, 5, 7, 13, 19, and 24 months of age. Logistic regressions with repeated measures were performed to assess the intervention's impact. Relative risks (RR) were estimated. A multivariate model was obtained adjusted for confounding factors. RESULTS: The experimental and control groups included 1140 and 1249 families, respectively. In per protocol analysis, a significant increase in VC of 3.2, 4.9, 7.3, 6.7, 10.6, and 5.1% was observed at 3, 5, 7, 13, 19, and 24 months. Children from experimental group had 9% more chance at a complete vaccination status between 3 and 24 months compared to children from control group (RR (95% CI): 1.09 (1.05-1.13), p < .001). Children with complete vaccination status at 3 months were more likely to have a complete vaccination status at 24 months (82.3 vs. 48.1%, RR (95% CI): 2.72 (2.28-3.24), p < .001). After adjustment, the estimated RR of the intervention's impact was 1.05 (1.02-1.07), p < .001. CONCLUSIONS: An educational information session about immunization based on motivational interview techniques conducted during postpartum hospitalization could improve immunization during infancy.

A postpartum vaccination promotion intervention using motivational interviewing techniques improves short-term vaccine coverage: PromoVac study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the increasing number of vaccine-hesitant parents, new effective immunization promotion strategies need to be developed to improve the vaccine coverage (VC) of infants. This study aimed to assess the impact of an educational strategy of vaccination promotion based on motivational interviewing (MI) techniques targeting parents and delivered at the maternity ward, for the VC of infants at 3, 5, and 7 months of age. METHODS: An individual educational information session, administered using MI techniques, regarding immunization of infants aged 2, 4, and 6 months was (experimental group) or was not (control group) proposed to parents during the postpartum stay at the maternity ward. Immunization data were obtained through the Eastern Townships Public Health registry for infants at 3, 5, and 7 months of age. Absolute VC increases at 3, 5, and 7 months in the experimental group were calculated and the relative risks with the respective 95% confidence intervals were computed using univariate logistic regression with the generalized estimating equations (GEE) procedure. Multivariate regression using GEE was used to adjust for confounding variables. RESULTS: In the experimental and control groups, 1140 and 1249 newborns were included, respectively. A significant increase in VC of 3.2, 4.9, and 7.3% was observed at 3, 5, and 7 months of age (P < 0.05), respectively. The adjusted relative risk of the intervention's impact on vaccination status at 7 months of age was 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.14) (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: An educational strategy using MI techniques delivered at the maternity ward may be effective in increasing VC of infants at ages 3, 5, and 7 months. MI could be an effective tool to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

Reflections of nurses in search of a theoretical framework for maternity care / Reflexiones de enfermeras en búsqueda del referencial teórico de atención en la maternidad / Reflexões de enfermeiras na busca do referencial teórico para assistência na maternidade

ABSTRACT Objective: To define a theoretical framework to guide the systematization of nursing care in a maternity unit in the South of Brazil. Method: This was the preliminary stage of a qualitative methodological study, based on an educational activity and the assumptions of Paulo Freire, involving 15 nurses, between August and November 2015. The aim of data analysis was to identify emerging themes. Results: The following themes emerged: knowledge of nurses about nursing theories; barriers to implementing and systematizing nursing care; the importance of a framework to guide practice and; educational activities as opportunities to systematize nursing care. Conclusion: The discussion process involved in establishing the theoretical framework enabled reflections about nursing practices, reinforcing the importance of theoretical frameworks to guide work processes and enhance quality of care.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Definir el referencial teórico de respaldo para implantar la sistematización de la atención de enfermería en maternidad del sur de Brasil. Método: Etapa preliminar de estudio metodológico, de abordaje cualitativo de datos, realizado a partir de práctica educativa guiada por los supuestos de Paulo Freire, con 15 enfermeras, entre agosto y noviembre de 2015. El análisis de datos buscó identificar los temas emergentes. Resultados: Como temas emergentes fueron hallados: Conocimiento de las enfermeras sobre Teorías de Enfermería; Dificultades para implementación de sistematización de la atención de enfermería; Importancia del referencial para respaldar la práctica; y La práctica educativa como posibilidad de concreción de la sistematización de la atención de enfermería. Conclusión: El proceso de discusión para obtener el referencial teórico permitió reflexiones sobre la práctica, reforzando la importancia de un referencial teórico para orientar su proceso de trabajo y la optimización de la calidad de la atención.

RESUMO Objetivo: definir o referencial teórico para sustentar a implantação da sistematização da assistência de enfermagem em uma maternidade do sul do Brasil. Método: trata-se da etapa preliminar de um estudo metodológico, com abordagem qualitativa dos dados, realizada a partir de uma prática educativa, guiada pelos pressupostos de Paulo Freire, com 15 enfermeiras, no período de agosto a novembro de 2015. A análise de dados buscou identificar os temas emergentes. Resultados: como temas emergentes foram elencados: Conhecimento das enfermeiras sobre Teorias de Enfermagem; Dificuldades para implementação da sistematização da assistência de enfermagem; Importância do referencial para subsidiar a prática e; e A prática educativa como possibilidade para efetivação da sistematização da assistência de enfermagem. Conclusão: o processo de discussão para a obtenção do referencial teórico permitiu reflexões sobre a prática, reforçando a importância de um referencial teórico para guiar o processo de trabalho e fortalecimento da qualidade da assistência.

Reference-dependent preferences for maternity wards: an exploration of two reference points.

It is now well established that a person's valuation of the benefit from an outcome of a decision is determined by the intrinsic "consumption utility" of the outcome itself and also by the relation of the outcome to some reference point. The most notable expression of such reference-dependent preferences is loss aversion. What precisely this reference point is, however, is less clear. This paper claims and provides empirical evidence for the existence of more than one reference point. Using a discrete choice experiment in the Israeli public health-care sector, within a sample of 219 women who had given birth, it is shown that respondents refer to two reference points: (i) a constant scenario that is used in the experiment; and (ii) also the actual state of the quantitative attributes of the service (number of beds in room of hospitalization; and travel time from residence to hospital). In line with the loss aversion theory, it is also shown that losses (vis-à-vis the constant scenario and vis-à-vis the actual state) accumulate and have reinforced effects, while gains do not.

A importância da participação cidadã nas políticas de saúde: o caso da reestruturação dos serviços de saúde materno-infantil em Portugal / Citizen Participation relevance in health policies: the case of the maternal and child health services restructuring in Portugal

As questões em torno da participação cidadã tornaram-se indiscutivelmente centrais na análise dos processos públicos de decisão das sociedades ditas democráticas. Uma das maiores dificuldades tem, no entanto, residido na ampla definição das modalidades participativas a considerar neste domínio. Neste trabalho assume-se que as ações de protesto são uma modalidade legítima de participar nos processos públicos de decisão. Analisa-se, para tal, o processo de encerramento de blocos de parto em Portugal, uma das medidas da recente reestruturação dos serviços de saúde materno-infantil, executada entre Maio de 2006 e Dezembro de 2007, e as consequentes ações de protesto encetadas pelas populações das localidades afetadas pela medida. Avalia-se a forma como a implementação não informada e participada de uma medida focada em critérios como segurança e qualidade da prestação de cuidados de saúde pode, mesmo assim, desencadear movimentos de contestação, sobretudo enquanto estratégia dos cidadãos para participar na (re)formulação de uma política pública.