Priorities to improve woman-centred gestational diabetes mellitus care: A qualitative study to compare views between clinical and consumer end-users

Abstract

Background: Immigrants worldwide have a two-fold higher risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) than women of the host country. Providing culturally appropriate woman-centred GDM care to attenuate adverse maternal and neonatal health outcomes is a persistent challenge for health services. Underpinned by the Knowledge to Action Framework, understanding and comparing the views of patients from different ethnic backgrounds and healthcare professionals (HCPs) about current and optimal GDM care can highlight priority areas to improve woman-centred care. This qualitative study aimed to compare the views of ethnic Chinese and Australian-born Caucasian women and their HCPs, including endocrinologists, obstetricians, midwives, diabetes nurse educators and dietitians, about what constitutes optimal GDM care and how to improve woman-centred GDM care. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit 42 Chinese and 30 Caucasian women with GDM and 17 HCPs from two large Australian hospital maternity services to complete in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Patients’ and HCPs’ views were thematically analysed and compared. Results: Four out of nine themes showed misalignments between patients’ and HCPs’ views on GDM care, reflecting priority areas to improve woman-centred care by (i) reaching agreement on the attitudes towards different treatment targets between HCPs; (ii) enhancing inter-professional communication; (iii) improving GDM care transition to postpartum care; and (iv) providing detailed dietary advice tailored to Chinese patients’ cultural diet. Conclusions: Further research on reaching consensus on treatment targets, enhancing inter-professional communication, developing a perinatal care transition model from pregnancy to postpartum, and developing Chinese patient-oriented educational resources is required to improve woman-centred care.