Linda Long-Bellil, PhD, JD, Monika Mitra, PhD, Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MSc, Suzanne C. Smeltzer, EdD, RN, Lauren D. Smith, MPH
Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p440–444
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.02.007
Background
Childbirth is widely acknowledged as one of the most painful experiences most women will undergo in their lifetimes. Alleviating labor and delivery pain for women with physical disabilities can involve an additional level of complexity beyond that experienced by most women, but little research has explored their experiences.
Objective
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of women with physical disabilities with respect to pain relief during labor and delivery with the goal of informing their care.
Methods
Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with twenty-five women with physical disabilities from across the United States.
Results
Women expressed specific preferences for the method of pain relief. Some confronted systemic barriers in exploring their options for pain relief, while others were given a choice. At times, anesthesiologists lacked knowledge and experience in caring for women with disabilities. Conversely, some women described how the administration of anesthesia was meticulously planned and attributed their positive labor and delivery experiences to this careful planning.
Conclusions
Advanced, individualized planning and evaluation of their options for pain relief was most satisfying to women and enabled them to make an informed choice. This approach is consistent with the recommendations of clinicians who have successfully provided pain relief during labor to women with complex physical disabilities. Clinicians who have successfully delivered babies of women with these and similar disabilities emphasize the importance of a team approach where the anesthesiologist and other specialists are involved early on in a woman’s care.
- PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
- PREGNANCY
- HEALTHCARE ACCESS
Monika Mitra, Lauren D. Smith, Suzanne C. Smeltzer, Linda M. Long-Bellil, Nechama Sammet Moring, Lisa I. Iezzoni
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2016.12.021
Background
Women with physical disabilities are known to experience disparities in maternity care access and quality, and communication gaps with maternity care providers, however there is little research exploring the maternity care experiences of women with physical disabilities from the perspective of their health care practitioners.
Objective
This study explored health care practitioners’ experiences and needs around providing perinatal care to women with physical disabilities in order to identify potential drivers of these disparities.
Methods
We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 14 health care practitioners in the United States who provide maternity care to women with physical disabilities, as identified by affiliation with disability-related organizations, publications and snowball sampling. Descriptive coding and content analysis techniques were used to develop an iterative code book related to barriers to caring for this population. Public health theory regarding levels of barriers was applied to generate broad barrier categories, which were then analyzed using content analysis.
Results
Participant-reported barriers to providing optimal maternity care to women with physical disabilities were grouped into four levels: practitioner level (e.g., unwillingness to provide care), clinical practice level (e.g., accessible office equipment like adjustable exam tables), system level (e.g., time limits, reimbursement policies), and barriers relating to lack of scientific evidence (e.g., lack of disability-specific clinical data).
Conclusion
Participants endorsed barriers to providing optimal maternity care to women with physical disabilities. Our findings highlight the needs for maternity care practice guidelines for women with physical disabilities, and for training and education regarding the maternity care needs of this population.