What Do Community Doulas Think About the Future of the Doula Workforce?
Introduction: Expanding access to doula care is a key strategy for improving the perinatal experiences and health outcomes of birthing people of color in the U.S. This study investigates the future of maternal healthcare in the U.S. from the perspective of doulas and highlights emerging technology a...
| Published in: | Maternal & Child Health Journal Vol. 28; no. 10; pp. 1694 - 1707 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
Oct2024
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=180849904&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 180849904 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 10927875 N9J jtl: Maternal & Child Health Journal issn: 10927875 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Oct2024 vid: 28 iid: 10 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature place: New York, New York artinfo: ui: 180849904 178670591 180849904 180849904 10.1007/s10995-024-03943-1 180849904 ppf: 1694 ppct: 13 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: What Do Community Doulas Think About the Future of the Doula Workforce? aug: au: Darvish, Nika Gómez, Anu Manchikanti Marshall, Cassondra McDonald, Raichal Rouse, LaToshia Dinsmore, Lauren Hecht, Hannah Berhanu, Ruth Rajan, Grace Sandhu, Jaspal affil: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA sug: subj: Doulas Workforce Maternal Health Services Evaluation Technology Utilization Human Funding Source Female United States Semi-Structured Interview COVID-19 Pandemic Social Media Insurance Carriers Burnout, Professional Support, Psychosocial Labor Postnatal Period Racism Healthcare Disparities Childbirth Racial Equality Questionnaires Purposive Sample Snowball Sample Thematic Analysis Insurance, Health Female ab: Introduction: Expanding access to doula care is a key strategy for improving the perinatal experiences and health outcomes of birthing people of color in the U.S. This study investigates the future of maternal healthcare in the U.S. from the perspective of doulas and highlights emerging technology and other opportunities related to strengthening the doula workforce. Methods: The study recruited community doulas from 12 unique U.S. states, ensuring at least half of the doulas predominantly served communities of color. Doulas (N = 26) participated in semi-structured, futures-oriented interviews that explored their experiences providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic and utilization of technology. A subset of doulas (n = 8) were engaged in interactive workshops where they envisioned alternative futures for doula care and childbirth. Interviews and workshops were analyzed using the Framework Method. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic heightened technology use among doulas and increased client accessibility. Social media serves as a unique space for critical community building and client outreach. Doulas reported opportunities to strengthen and mobilize the future workforce: recognizing doula care as a reimbursable service by health insurers, utilizing doula collectives for community practice to decrease burnout, increasing emotional support for doulas, and instilling a chain of learning through mentorship. Discussion: Futures thinking served as a valuable approach for doulas to illuminate the implications of present-day challenges and empowered doulas to design roadmaps toward better futures for doulas and maternal health. Doulas should be engaged as partners to hold a meaningful decision-making role when discussing policies, employment structures, emerging technology, and other aspects of doulas' positioning within the healthcare system. Significance: Doulas provide information, and emotional and physical support to birthing persons throughout labor, birth, and postpartum. Various studies have shown that doulas help to address gaps in maternal healthcare and reduce racial health disparities. Despite doulas' impactful role in facilitating empowered childbirth experiences, they are often left out of decision-making conversations among maternal health professionals. By gathering doula perspectives on the future of maternal healthcare through blending futures thinking and racial equity, this study provides opportunities around emerging technology and other strategies to mobilize the doula workforce. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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