BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Volume 14, Issue 1, 2014

Immigrant and non-immigrant women's experiences of maternity care: A systematic and comparative review of studies in five countries (Article) (Open Access)

Small R.* , Roth C. , Raval M. , Shafiei T. , Korfker D. , Heaman M. , McCourt C. , Gagnon A.
  • a Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, 215 Franklin Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
  • b Clinical Education Centre, Keele University, Newcastle Road, Staffordshire ST4 6QG, United Kingdom
  • c Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, 215 Franklin Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
  • d Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, 215 Franklin Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
  • e TNO Institute, Wassenaarseweg, Leiden CE 56 2301, Netherlands
  • f Faculty of Nursing, Helen Glass Centre for Nursing, University of Manitoba, 89 Curry Place, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
  • g School of Health Sciences, City University London, Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7QN, United Kingdom
  • h McGill, Ingram School of Nursing, Department Ob/Gyn, MUHC Prog.Ob/Gyn, 3506 rue University, Montreal, QC H3A 2A7, Canada

Abstract

Background: Understanding immigrant women's experiences of maternity care is critical if receiving country care systems are to respond appropriately to increasing global migration. This systematic review aimed to compare what we know about immigrant and non-immigrant women's experiences of maternity care.Methods: Medline, CINAHL, Health Star, Embase and PsychInfo were searched for the period 1989-2012. First, we retrieved population-based studies of women's experiences of maternity care (n = 12). For countries with identified population studies, studies focused specifically on immigrant women's experiences of care were also retrieved (n = 22). For all included studies, we extracted available data on experiences of care and undertook a descriptive comparison.Results: What immigrant and non-immigrant women want from maternity care proved similar: safe, high quality, attentive and individualised care, with adequate information and support. Immigrant women were less positive about their care than non-immigrant women. Communication problems and lack of familiarity with care systems impacted negatively on immigrant women's experiences, as did perceptions of discrimination and care which was not kind or respectful.Conclusion: Few differences were found in what immigrant and non-immigrant women want from maternity care. The challenge for health systems is to address the barriers immigrant women face by improving communication, increasing women's understanding of care provision and reducing discrimination. © 2014 Small et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Author Keywords

Maternity care immigrant women communication Experiences of care

Index Keywords

personal experience descriptive research doctor patient relation patient care maternal care Physician-Patient Relations Communication Barriers immigrant Embase Australia Cinahl human communication disorder prepregnancy care health service bibliographic database comparative study Patient Navigation Great Britain Medline intermethod comparison Patient Education as Topic health star intrapartum care United States Sweden Humans migrant Canada Emigrants and Immigrants female PsycINFO population research patient satisfaction Continuity of Patient Care standards personalized medicine patient education women's health Article health care quality patient participation Prejudice United Kingdom Maternal Health Services social discrimination systematic review puerperium obstetrics
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84900324706&doi=10.1186%2f1471-2393-14-152&partnerID=40&md5=8e194017627d094147acccb95abfb634
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-152
ISSN: 14712393
Cited by: 66
Original Language: English