Researcher bios and how their research backgrounds relate to this study
I am pursuing my PhD in Applied Psychology with a focus on health services and health equity at the University of Toronto. I am well versed in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, though this study heavily focuses on qualitative methods for interviews. This study uses a design thinking approach with a user experience lens for data collection and analysis which I have conducted previously in other research settings (i.e., medical education and training). I am also a trainee an Women's College Hospital in Toronto where I conduct research and evaluation in health services and implementation science; and in this work, I am using implementation frameworks as part of the conceptual framework. This research also has a great focus on health equity and as such I am using the PROGRESS-Plus equity framework to guide this work; I have used this framework in other projects including the paper of my dissertation which precedes this project (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06388-0).
Purpose of this research project
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) defines prenatal health as overall maternal health during pregnancy. Maternity care in Canada is provincially regulated apart from the indigenous population; and public health insurance plans cover majority of expenses. Healthcare policies act as guidelines for decision-making and on the ground practices, and despite their indication of healthcare being equally available, actually accessing care is inequitable. Equity in health encompasses the absence of preventable and unfair inequalities in health. Policies may be equitable for dominant groups in society; however, they do not attend to the systemic oppression experienced by particular subgroups in the community including indigenous, immigrants, racial minorities, gender identity minorities, and women in general. This imbalance has contributed to disparities in maternal healthcare practices and impacts the short and long-term health of women and children. Investigating the experiences of women accessing quality prenatal healthcare (i.e., barriers and inequities detailed above to access quality healthcare) from a user-centered approach is necessary for the practice and policy level. The overall aim of this study is to explore the experiences of prenatal patients and to understand the impact of inequities on patient access and use of health services as they interact with the healthcare system in Ontario.
How this research will help LGBT2SQ people and communities
We anticipate recruiting patients including those from LGBT2SQ communities. We hope to learn about these individuals' experiences during pregnancy as they interact with the healthcare system. As individuals who are apart of LGBT2SQ communities, we hope to learn about what has worked well for them, and what has not, in terms of equity in their health and healthcare experience. The aim would be to synthesize what has not worked (barriers) and what has worked (facilitators) to achieving equity in prenatal healthcare, and disseminate these messages back to the LGBT2SQ communities and beyond (i.e., healthcare professionals and policy-makers).
Participants
Any individual who is:
- 18 years of age or older;
- Has been pregnant within the last 12 months (including pregnancy loss);
- Has lived in Ontario while I was pregnant;
- Has accessed or attempted to access the healthcare system while I was pregnant.
Compensation
A $30 honorarium will be provided to patients as a thank you for their time for participating in the research interview.
Mitigation measures
There are no known risks associated with participating in this study. If risks are uncovered during the course of this project, we will notify participants immediately.
Some of the questions may seem personal and may make participants feel uncomfortable or may upset them. Participants can skip questions that they do not wish to answer. If they have any questions or concerns while answering these questions, they can talk to a study team member. Here is a resource that may be of help under these circumstances which we will provide to participants: https://cpmhc.ca/get-help/
Promoting the Study
Participants will be invited to participate in the study through targeted social media, email list serves, and posters. Collaborators including the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, World of My Baby (WOMB), and the department of Applied Psychology & Human Development at the University of Toronto will recruit participants by posting on social media (script pasted below) and/or sending out e-newsletters (script pasted below) which will both include a virtual poster (attached). We will also post on specific Facebook groups including “Ukranian Moms in Toronto” and “Ukranian Moms+Dads in Toronto and the GTA”. Collaborators including the WOMB will also have printed posters (same as attached virtual poster) available in person at their centres in Burlington and Milton, Ontario. All collaborators have agreed to participate in this study.
Social Media:
Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn:
Do you have an experience to share about your journey interacting with the healthcare system during pregnancy (including pregnancy loss)?
Has your experience been impacted by where you live, your race/ethnicity, religion, gender identity, age, education, work, income, or support system?
A student researcher at the @University of Toronto is recruiting individuals for the study “Exploring equity in patient experiences of prenatal healthcare in Ontario”
Interested in participating? See poster for more info!
Recruitment Survey: https://tinyurl.com/recpreg24
#pregnancy #healthequity #prenatal
[Insert virtual poster]
Twitter:
Do you have an experience to share about your journey interacting with the healthcare system during pregnancy?
A student at @UofT is recruiting individuals for the study “Exploring equity in patient experiences of prenatal healthcare in Ontario”
https://tinyurl.com/recpreg24
#pregnancy
[Insert virtual poster]
Newsletter/Email:
Do you have an experience to share about your journey interacting with the healthcare system during pregnancy (including pregnancy loss)?
Has your experience been impacted by where you live, your race/ethnicity, religion, gender identity, age, education, work, income, or support system?
A student researcher at the University of Toronto is recruiting individuals for the study “Exploring equity in patient experiences of prenatal healthcare in Ontario”
If you are interested in participating, please complete this recruitment survey, leave your email, and one of our team members will get in touch with you soon. If you have any questions, please contact Zeenat at .
Recruitment Survey: https://tinyurl.com/recpreg24
See poster for more information. [Insert virtual poster]