Michelle Lobchuk, Lisa Hoplock, Nicole Harder, Marcia Friesen, Julie Rempel, Prachotan Reddy Bathi
Usability Testing of a Web-Based Empathy Training Portal: Mixed Methods Study
JMIR formative research
often new arrivals refugee backgrounds experienced poor health limited access healthcare services maternal child health mch service victoria australia joint local state government operated costfree service available mothers children aged 06 years although wellchild healthcare visits useful identifying health issues early limited investigation use services families refugee backgrounds study aims explore experiences using mch services perspective families refugee backgrounds service providerswe used qualitative study design informed socioecological model health cultural competence approach two geographical areas melbourne selected invite participants seven focus groups conducted 87 mothers karen iraqi assyrian chaldean lebanese south sudanese bhutanese backgrounds lived average 47 years australia range one month18 years participants total 249 children 150 born australia four focus groups five interviews conducted mch nurses healthcare providers bicultural workersfour themes identified facilitating access mch services promoting continued engagement mch service language challenges working well could done better several processes identified facilitated initial access mch service implications continued use service mch service formally notified new parents arriving young children prearranged group appointments mch nurses parents attended playgroups worked well increase ongoing service engagement barriers parents using mch services included access transportation lack confidence speaking english making phone bookings service users providers reported continuity nurse interpreter preferred increasing clientprovider trust ongoing engagementalthough participants children born melbourne good initial access experience using mch services significant barriers remain systemsoriented culturally competent approach service provision would improve service utilisation experience parents providers including formalising links notifications settlement services mch services