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. 2021 May 6;18(9):4933.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094933.

The Cycle to Respectful Care: A Qualitative Approach to the Creation of an Actionable Framework to Address Maternal Outcome Disparities

Carmen L Green  1   2 , Susan L Perez  1   3 , Ashlee Walker  1   4 , Tracey Estriplet  1 , S Michelle Ogunwole  5 , Tamika C Auguste  6 , Joia A Crear-Perry  1
Affiliations

The Cycle to Respectful Care: A Qualitative Approach to the Creation of an Actionable Framework to Address Maternal Outcome Disparities

Carmen L Green et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Despite persistent disparities in maternity care outcomes, there are limited resources to guide clinical practice and clinician behavior to dismantle biased practices and beliefs, structural and institutional racism, and the policies that perpetuate racism. Focus groups and interviews were held in communities in the United States identified as having higher density of Black births. Focus group and interview themes and codes illuminated Black birthing individual's experience with labor and delivery in the hospital setting. Using an iterative process to refine and incorporate qualitative themes, we created a framework in close collaboration with birth equity stakeholders. This is an actionable, cyclical framework for training on anti-racist maternity care. The Cycle to Respectful Care acknowledges the development and perpetuation of biased healthcare delivery, while providing a solution for dismantling healthcare providers' socialization that results in biased and discriminatory care. The Cycle to Respectful Care is an actionable tool to liberate patients, by way of their healthcare providers, from biased practices and beliefs, structural and institutional racism, and the policies that perpetuate racism.

Keywords: birth equity; framework; maternal health; maternal morbidity; racial equity; respectful care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Methods Process. CBO: Community based organization.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cycle to Respectful Care.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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