TY - JOUR
T1 - Developing multi-language maternal health education videos for refugee and migrant women in southeast Melbourne
AU - Bartlett, Rebeccah
AU - Boyle, Jacqueline A.
N1 - Funding Information:
In mid-2019, Monash Health, in partnership with the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, the not-for-profit Shifra, the Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership and Monash Health Refugee Health and Wellbeing service secured funding from the Victorian Government’s Language Service Innovation Grant program to address this public health issue in the southeast suburbs of Melbourne. Over 9,000 women give birth across Monash Healths three maternity sites annually. Almost 60% of this population were born in non-English speaking countries and approximately 10% request the use of an interpreter at some point throughout their maternity care episode ( Monash Health Language Services, 2021 ). Previous research undertaken by Monash Health Language Service staff noted that, of the 10% of women who required an interpreter, less than or only half went on to receive one whilst in the birth suite ( Monash Health Language Services, 2021 ).
Funding Information:
This research was funding by Victorian DHHS's Language Services Innovation Grant 2019-2021.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - Problem: In Australia, many women from refugee and migrant backgrounds experience significant health disparities and barriers to care and poor health literacy negatively influences their maternal and infant health outcomes. Improving health literacy improves these outcomes yet can be time consuming and difficult to provide within the confines of current models of maternity care. Introduction: Each year, more than 9000 women give birth across Monash Health's three maternity sites within one large public health service, located in Melbourne. Almost 60% of these women were born in non-English speaking countries and approximate 10% request the use of an interpreter at some point throughout their maternity experience. This project aimed to co-design animated videos focused on preconception, pregnancy, and postnatal care with women from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Methods: The authors utilised previously prioritised maternity education needs as a starting point for design workshops undertaken with healthcare staff and women from the end-user communities. Over three workshops, sixteen healthcare staff volunteered to map or provide feedback on key touch points and barriers to quality, respectful care from the preconception period until six months postnatal. Arabic- and Dari-speaking women, led by bicultural educators, were all paid to user test these posters and the subsequently developed videos. Results: The process utilised within this project yielded five posters, four videos and four important recommendations in maternity care to incorporate in the education posters and videos, which both healthcare workers and the Arabic- and Dari-speaking women referenced at each mapping and user testing session. These included (1) explaining maternity care (appointment, tests, diet, medications etc.); (2) culturally informed models of care; (3) recognising the role of the support person; and (4) the impact of COVID-19 on health provision and access. Discussion: Maternal health literacy is a known predictor of perinatal outcomes. Globally, women report wanting more guidance and clearer understanding of what is taking place throughout their perinatal journey. This desire for knowledge is no different for women from non-English speaking backgrounds in Australia, though it may require more time and investment by health providers and educators. These posters and videos offer an attempt to support women, particularly women from refugee and migrant backgrounds, who require further healthcare explanations, to complement their current models of care, in a medium that is accessible and appropriate for them.
AB - Problem: In Australia, many women from refugee and migrant backgrounds experience significant health disparities and barriers to care and poor health literacy negatively influences their maternal and infant health outcomes. Improving health literacy improves these outcomes yet can be time consuming and difficult to provide within the confines of current models of maternity care. Introduction: Each year, more than 9000 women give birth across Monash Health's three maternity sites within one large public health service, located in Melbourne. Almost 60% of these women were born in non-English speaking countries and approximate 10% request the use of an interpreter at some point throughout their maternity experience. This project aimed to co-design animated videos focused on preconception, pregnancy, and postnatal care with women from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Methods: The authors utilised previously prioritised maternity education needs as a starting point for design workshops undertaken with healthcare staff and women from the end-user communities. Over three workshops, sixteen healthcare staff volunteered to map or provide feedback on key touch points and barriers to quality, respectful care from the preconception period until six months postnatal. Arabic- and Dari-speaking women, led by bicultural educators, were all paid to user test these posters and the subsequently developed videos. Results: The process utilised within this project yielded five posters, four videos and four important recommendations in maternity care to incorporate in the education posters and videos, which both healthcare workers and the Arabic- and Dari-speaking women referenced at each mapping and user testing session. These included (1) explaining maternity care (appointment, tests, diet, medications etc.); (2) culturally informed models of care; (3) recognising the role of the support person; and (4) the impact of COVID-19 on health provision and access. Discussion: Maternal health literacy is a known predictor of perinatal outcomes. Globally, women report wanting more guidance and clearer understanding of what is taking place throughout their perinatal journey. This desire for knowledge is no different for women from non-English speaking backgrounds in Australia, though it may require more time and investment by health providers and educators. These posters and videos offer an attempt to support women, particularly women from refugee and migrant backgrounds, who require further healthcare explanations, to complement their current models of care, in a medium that is accessible and appropriate for them.
KW - Community engagement
KW - Design thinking
KW - Maternity care
KW - Refugee and migrant health
KW - Videos
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130627923&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.midw.2022.103369
DO - 10.1016/j.midw.2022.103369
M3 - Article
C2 - 35617881
AN - SCOPUS:85130627923
SN - 0266-6138
VL - 111
JO - Midwifery
JF - Midwifery
M1 - 103369
ER -
