"It's just so bloody hard": recommendations for improving health interventions and maternity support services for disabled women

"What Services?": Stakeholders' Perceived Unmet Support Needs for Parents With Neurological Disorders

Background. Knowledge about the needs of parents with neurological disorders who take care of young children is limited. Purpose. The overall aim of this qualitative study was to explore the perceived unmet parent needs, current supports, and potential solutions to optimize supports of parents with neurological disorders in early childhood in a Canadian setting. Method. Focus groups and individual interviews with parents (n  =  8), spouses (n  =  5), rehabilitation clinicians (n  =  8), community partners (n  =  7), and researchers (n  =  7) were conducted with a total of 35 participants recruited using convenience sampling. Inductive iterative thematic analysis was performed. Findings. The participants identified the need for society to officially recognize parenting with disabilities, adjust public policies, increase the scope of public programs, consider child development and family well-being, and have barrier-free communities. Conclusion. Providing customized solutions that will adequately fill perceived service gaps is of utmost importance to address these families' needs.

Health equity for persons with disabilities: a global scoping review on barriers and interventions in healthcare services

BACKGROUND

Persons with disabilities experience health inequities in terms of increased mortality, morbidity, and limitations in functioning when compared to the rest of the population. Many of the poor health outcomes experienced by persons with disabilities cannot be explained by the underlying health condition or impairment, but are health inequities driven by unfair societal and health system factors. A synthesis of the global evidence is needed to identify the factors that hinder equitable access to healthcare services for persons with disabilities, and the interventions to remove these barriers and promote disability inclusion.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review following the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, Int J Soc Res Methodol 8:19-32. We searched two scholarly databases, namely MEDLINE (Ovid) and Web of Science, the websites of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and governments, and reviewed evidence shared during WHO-led consultations on the topic of health equity for persons with disabilities. We included articles published after 2011 with no restriction to geographical location, the type of underlying impairments or healthcare services. A charting form was developed and used to extract the relevant information for each included article.

RESULTS

Of 11,884 articles identified in the search, we included 182 articles in this review. The majority of sources originated from high-income countries. Barriers were identified worldwide across different levels of the health system (such as healthcare costs, untrained healthcare workforces, issues of inclusive and coordinated services delivery), and through wider contributing factors of health inequities that expand beyond the health system (such as societal stigma or health literacy). However, the interventions to promote equitable access to healthcare services for persons with disabilities were not readily mapped onto those needs, their sources of funding and projected sustainability were often unclear, and few offered targeted approaches to address issues faced by marginalized groups of persons with disabilities with intersectional identities.

CONCLUSION

Persons with disabilities continue to face considerable barriers when accessing healthcare services, which negatively affects their chances of achieving their highest attainable standard of health. It is encouraging to note the increasing evidence on interventions targeting equitable access to healthcare services, but they remain too few and sparce to meet the populations' needs. Profound systemic changes and action-oriented strategies are warranted to promote health equity for persons with disabilities, and advance global health priorities.

Prenatal Care Experiences of Childbearing People With Disabilities in Ontario, Canada

OBJECTIVE

To explore the care experiences of childbearing people with physical, sensory, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities during pregnancy.

DESIGN

Descriptive qualitative.

SETTING

Ontario, Canada, where physician and midwifery care during pregnancy are provided at no direct cost to residents.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty-one people with physical, sensory, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities (who self-identified as cisgender women [n = 29] and trans or nonbinary persons [n = 2]) who gave birth in the last 5 years.

METHODS

We recruited childbearing people with disabilities through disability and parenting organizations, social media, and our team's networks. Using a semistructured guide, we conducted in-person and virtual (e.g., telephone or Zoom) interviews with childbearing people with disabilities in 2019 to 2020. We asked participants about the services they accessed during pregnancy and if services met their needs. We used a reflexive thematic analysis approach to analyze interview data.

RESULTS

Across disability groups, we identified four common themes: Unmet Accommodation Needs, Lack of Coordinated Care, Ableism, and Advocacy as a Critical Resource. We found that these experiences manifested in unique ways based on disability type.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest the need for accessible, coordinated, and respectful prenatal care for people with disabilities, with the requirements of such care depending on the needs of the individual person with a disability. Nurses can play a key role in identifying the needs and supporting people with disabilities during pregnancy. Education and training for nurses, midwives, obstetricians, and other prenatal care providers should focus on disability-related knowledge and respectful prenatal care.

Parenting with a physical disability: A scoping review of assessment methods

INTRODUCTION

Daily childcare can be challenging for parents with a physical disability who have young children. Occupational therapists are valuable facilitators to family participation. However, occupational therapists have reported significant gaps in knowledge when documenting the parenting role of parents with a physical disability in occupational therapy practice. This study explored and described the parenting assessment methods used with parents with a physical disability in the scientific literature.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted, and search results were reviewed by two separate reviewers. The search strategy was applied to five databases (Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, HaPI, PsycInfo). Numerical and thematic analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Four thousand one hundred fifty articles were screened, and 73 relevant scientific articles were included. Seventy-six assessment methods were identified, including 20 assessment instruments with few reported population-specific psychometric studies. Most assessments were conducted via interviews (n = 45), followed by questionnaires (n = 27), and only six were performance based. Parenting practices and experience were the two dimensions most assessed, with little attention given to parenting responsibility. Mothers with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, rheumatoid arthritis, and cerebral palsy were the most assessed.

CONCLUSION

Further research is needed to develop specific, multidimensional, and validated parenting assessments for all parents with a physical disability, including performance-based assessments. Formal assessments should be conducted by professionals, including occupational therapists, who have the necessary training.

Maternity care experiences of women with physical disabilities: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Fifteen percent of the world's population has some form of disability, the most common form being a physical disability. Ten percent of women with disabilities are of childbearing age; however, because women with disabilities are often deemed less likely to have children, accessibility to maternity care is limited. Women with disabilities experience problems during pregnancy and childbirth due to physical barriers and barriers to information, problems with communication and the attitude of providers. A recent World Health Organization statement calls for more action, dialogue, research and advocacy on disrespectful treatment during childbirth. To give substance to this, an overview of the experiences of women with a physical disability is essential. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to identify and provide an overview of reported maternity care experiences of women with physical disabilities, including sensory disabilities.

DESIGN

This systematic review was conducted using a meta-aggregation approach for synthesis and the steps of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. The search strategy focused on qualitative studies in the databases PubMed, Embase and CINAHL. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist was used to evaluate methodological quality, and a best-evidence synthesis was performed.

FINDINGS

Of the 4,486 studies screened, ten were included. The methodological quality of the studies ranged from high to moderate. The results indicated that women experience barriers related to accessibility of facilities, adapted equipment, lack of knowledge, and healthcare providers' dismissals of their concerns and unwillingness to assist. In contrast, support has a positive influence on women's experiences.

KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

There is evidence that women with physical disabilities continue to encounter barriers in accessing maternity care related to inaccessible care settings, lack of knowledge and the attitude of healthcare providers. Healthcare providers should be trained to be aware of women's special needs and to improve clinical practice.

Parenting with a physical disability and cognitive impairments: a scoping review of the needs expressed by parents

PURPOSE

Parents, whose daily activities are limited by a disability, account for 6.2% of the American population with minor children. Considering the prevailing knowledge gaps concerning parents with a physical disability and cognitive impairments, there is an urgency to instigate an investigation of their unmet needs. In this study, we will examine the scope of literature relating to the specific needs of parents with a physical disability and cognitive impairments in early child rearing occupations.

METHODS

A scoping review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted by two independent raters in four databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO). Data were extracted and analyzed numerically and thematically using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

RESULTS

Twenty-nine studies were included for review representing the needs of 113 parents. Emerging needs related to 15 ICF categories and three corresponding themes: parents' (1) needs when engaging with their young children, (2) personal needs in and outside the home, and (3) needs navigating the health system.

CONCLUSIONS

The unmet needs of parents with a physical disability and cognitive impairments legitimize the development of clinical services for this population. Future research should focus on developing assessments and interventions specific to parental needs in child rearing occupations.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAdults with a physical disability and cognitive impairments who parent young children have unmet needs with regards to engaging in child rearing, meeting their personal needs, and navigating the health system.Studies reporting on the impact of impairments on parenting mostly focus on elucidating physical impairments and less so cognitive impairments.Developing a more comprehensive understanding of parental needs will inform further development of targeted assessments and interventions for parents with a physical disability and cognitive impairments.