Maternal healthcare for women with physical disabilities in Northern Vietnam: perspectives of healthcare providers.

Article

Nguyen, Thi Vinh, Edwards, Niki and King, Julie. 2023. "Maternal healthcare for women with physical disabilities in Northern Vietnam: perspectives of healthcare providers." Disability and Health Journal. 16 (2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101439
Article Title

Maternal healthcare for women with physical disabilities in Northern Vietnam: perspectives of healthcare providers.

ERA Journal ID124601
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsNguyen, Thi Vinh, Edwards, Niki and King, Julie
EditorsNguyen, T.
Journal TitleDisability and Health Journal
Journal Citation16 (2)
Article Number101439
Number of Pages7
Year2023
PublisherElsevier
Place of PublicationUnited States
ISSN1876-7583
1936-6574
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101439
Web Address (URL)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1936657423000018
Abstract

Background
Pregnancy among women with physical disabilities is common around the world; however, there are limited qualitative studies that explore the perspectives of healthcare providers toward pregnant women with disabilities outside of the Global North.
Objective
This article explores perspectives and experiences of maternal healthcare providers in the delivery of services to women with physical disabilities in Northern Vietnam.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 healthcare providers who worked in public and/or private healthcare North Vietnamese facilities where maternal services were provided. Data were thematically analyzed.
Results
The participants included six males and eight females. Ten were obstetricians/gynecologists, one was a doctor specializing in obstetric imaging diagnosis, three were midwives, and one was a midwife/assistant doctor. Four themes were identified. In the first theme, providers attached provisos to the right to motherhood including the view that the women were limited to one child and should undergo prenatal screenings for fetal abnormalities. In the second theme, the providers reported that disability was not incorporated into their education; this led to half of them lacking confidence in providing appropriate maternal healthcare services for women with physical disabilities. The third theme found that although women with physical disabilities were considered as a priority group, decisions around who was seen before others or provided with fee discount/exemption were left in the hands of staff. The fourth theme identified that some providers overlooked their needs for physical accessibility and independence.
Conclusion
This study shows that maternal healthcare providers in Vietnam discounted the needs of women with physical disabilities. The needs of women with disabilities should be included in the training of maternal healthcare providers in Vietnam.

KeywordsMaternal healthcare; Physical disabilities; Pregnancy; Motherhood; Rights; Vietnam
Article Publishing Charge (APC) FundingResearcher
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020420199. Allied health and rehabilitation science not elsewhere classified
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Byline AffiliationsQueensland University of Technology
School of Psychology and Wellbeing
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