Incorporation, adaptation and rejection of obstetric practices during the implementation of the "Adequate Childbirth Program" in Brazilian private hospitals: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The "Adequate Childbirth Program" (PPA) is a quality improvement project that aims to reduce the high rates of unnecessary cesarean section in Brazilian private hospitals. This study aimed to analyze labor and childbirth care practices after the first phase of PPA implementation. METHOD: This study uses a qualitative approach. Eight hospitals were selected. At each hospital, during the period of 5 (five) days, from July to October 2017, the research team conducted face to face interviews with doctors (n = 21) and nurses (n = 28), using semi-structured scripts. For the selection of professionals, the Snowball technique was used. The interviews were transcribed, and the data submitted to Thematic Content Analysis, using the MaxQda software. RESULTS: The three analytical dimensions of the process of change in the care model: (1) Incorporation of care practices: understood as the practices that have been included since PPA implementation; (2) Adaptation of care practices: understood as practices carried out prior to PPA implementation, but which underwent modifications with the implementation of the project; (3) Rejection of care practices: understood as those practices that were abandoned or questioned whether or not they should be carried out by hospital professionals. CONCLUSIONS: After the PPA, changes were made in hospitals and in the way, women were treated. Birth planning, prenatal hospital visits led by experts (for expecting mothers and their families), diet during labor, pharmacological analgesia for vaginal delivery, skin-to-skin contact, and breastfeeding in the first hour of life are all included. To better monitor labor and vaginal birth and to reduce CS without a clinical justification, hospitals adjusted their present practices. Finally, the professionals rejected the Kristeller maneuver since research has demonstrated that using it's harmful.

Brazil has high Cesarean Section (CS) rates, with rates far from the ideal recommended by the World Health Organization and a model of care that does not favor women's autonomy and empowerment. In 2015, a quality improvement project, called "Projeto Parto Adequado" (PPA), was implemented in Brazilian private hospitals to reduce unnecessary cesarean section, in addition to encouraging the process of natural and safe childbirth. One of the components of this project was to reorganize the model of care in hospitals to prepare professionals for humanized and safe care. The data were collected in 8 hospitals with interviews with 49 professionals, approximately two years after the beginning of the project in the hospitals. There were changes in the hospital routine and in the care of women after the project. The professionals incorporated practices such as skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding; diet during labor; non-invasive care technologies, especially to relieve pain during labor; birth plan; pregnancy courses with guided tours in hospitals (for pregnant women and family); and analgesia for vaginal labor. There was adaptation of existing practices in hospitals to reduce CS that had no clinical indication; better monitoring of labor, favoring vaginal delivery. And finally, the professionals rejected the practice that presses the uterine fundus, for not having shown efficacy in recent studies. We can conclude that the hospitals that participated in this study have made an effort to change their obstetric model. However, specific aspects of each hospital, the organization of the health system in Brazil, and the incentive of the local administration influenced the implementation of these changes by professionals in practice.

Infertilidade, justiça reprodutiva e pandemia de COVID-19: reflexões sobre acesso e barreiras / Infertility, reproductive justice and the COVID-19 pandemic: reflections on access and barriers / Infertilidad, justicia reproductiva y la pandemia de COVID-19: reflexiones sobre acceso y barreras

Objetivo: refletir sobre o acesso a serviços de saúde para infertilidade e reprodução humana assistida durante o período da pandemia de COVID-19, na perspectiva da justiça reprodutiva. Metodologia: utilizou-se dados do inquérito online da pesquisa Pandemia de COVID-19e práticas reprodutivas de mulheres no Brasil, que obteve 8.313 respostas de mulheres residentes em todas as regiões do país, de 18 anos ou mais. O questionário autoaplicável circulou entre julho e outubro de 2021, contendo questões fechadas e abertas. A análise descritiva das respostas objetivas de 242 mulheres que referiram buscar atendimento para infertilidade contou com o cálculo de frequências simples das variáveis. Já os textos escritos nos espaços abertos do questionário foram submetidos à análise temática. Resultados: o estudo verificou a existência de barreiras institucionais e não institucionais para os cuidados da infertilidade, ambas incrementadas pela pandemia. Conclusão: recomenda-se a efetivação de política pública que garanta acesso pleno a todas as pessoas, haja vista que o tratamento para infertilidade e reprodução assistida tende a se restringir a mulheres cisgênero, de camadas médias e altas, mais escolarizadas e majoritariamente brancas.

Objective: to critically examine access to health services for infertility and assisted human reproduction during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the perspective of reproductive justice. Methods: data for analysis were derived from the online survey titled COVID-19 Pandemic and Women's Reproductive Practices in Brazil, garnering 8,313 responses from women aged 18 years or older residing in all regions of the country. The self-administered questionnaire circulated from July to October 2021 and comprised both closed and open-ended questions. Descriptive analysis of the objective responses obtained from 242 women actively seeking infertility care involved the calculation of simple frequencies for relevant variables. Responses provided in the open-ended sections of the questionnaire underwent thematic analysis. Results: revealed the presence of both institutional and non-institutional barriers to infertility care, with a notable exacerbation during the pandemic. Conclusion: given that infertility and assisted reproduction treatment predominantly cater to cisgender women from middle and upper socio-economic strata, characterized by higher education levels and mostly white, there is a compelling need for the implementation of public policies that ensure equitable access for all individuals.

Objetivo: reflexionar sobre el acceso a los servicios de salud para la infertilidad y la reproducción humana asistida durante el período de la pandemia de COVID-19, desde la perspectiva de la justicia reproductiva. Metodología: se utilizaron datos de la encuesta en línea de la Pandemia de COVID-19y prácticas reproductivas de las mujeres en Brasil, que obtuvo 8.313 respuestas de mujeres residentes en todas las regiones del país, con edad igual o superior a 18 años. El cuestionario autoaplicado circuló entre julio y octubre de 2021, conteniendo preguntas cerradas y abiertas. El análisis descriptivo de las respuestas objetivas de 242 mujeres que relataron buscar atención por infertilidad implicó el cálculo de frecuencias simples de las variables. Los textos escritos en los espacios abiertos del cuestionario fueron sometidos a análisis temático. Resultados:el estudio verificó la existencia de barreras institucionales y no institucionales para la atención de la infertilidad, ambas aumentadas por la pandemia. Conclusión: se recomiendala implementación de una política pública que garantice el pleno acceso a todas las personas, dado que el tratamiento de la infertilidad y reproducción asistida tiende a estar restringido a mujeres cisgénero de clase media y alta, con mayor educación y en su mayoría blancas.

Saúde, reprodução e sexualidade nos tempos da COVID-19: memórias incorporadas das mulheres no Brasil / Health, reproduction and sexuality in times of COVID-19: embodied memories of women in Brazil / Salud, reproducción y sexualidad en los tiempos de COVID-19: memorias encarnadas de las mujeres en Brasil

Objetivo: compreender como a pandemia de COVID-19 afetou a vida e a saúde das mulheres, com ênfase nos aspectos da saúde sexual e reprodutiva, e refletir sobre os direitos sexuais e reprodutivos e a justiça reprodutiva no contexto da crise sanitária. Metodologia: utilizou-se questionário online com 113 perguntas objetivas e uma questão aberta para comentários. De 8.313 mulheres que responderam ao questionário, 1.838 relataram suas vivências durante a pandemia na questão aberta. Esse material passou por técnicas de análise narrativa e temática e de construção de memória. Resultados: evidenciou-se a ampliação das dificuldades de acesso a serviços de saúde, em especial de saúde sexual e reprodutiva; o aprofundamento das iniquidades na divisão sexual do trabalho, com sobrecarga de trabalho doméstico e profissional; a insegurança econômica; o tensionamentos das relações afetivo-sexuais e maior exposição à violência; e importantes repercussões na saúde psicoemocional. Todos esses aspectos afetaram as experiências de saúde e adoecimento; a vida sexual; e os planos e experiências reprodutivas nos primeiros anos de pandemia. Conclusão: no Brasil, na sobreposição da emergência sanitária com a crise democrática de direitos, fatos sociais e fatos fisiológicos se misturam e se totalizam na experiência histórica e material do corpo sexual e reprodutivo das mulheres, seguindo as linhas de força das precariedades e injustiças de gênero, de raça e de classe. Os relatos das mulheres contribuem para a construção de uma memória coletiva ­não necessariamente unívoca e linear ­da pandemia. Memórias que podem não apenas ilustrar o momento presente, como contribuir para o entendimento e enfrentamento de crises semelhantes futuras.

Objective: this study seeks to comprehend the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's lives and health, with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health, andto reflect on sexual and reproductive rights and reproductive justice within the context of the health crisis.Methods:employing an online questionnaire featuring 113 objective questions and one open-ended question for free comments, the study gathered responses from 8,313 women. Out of these, 1,838 utilized the open question to articulate their experiences during the pandemic. The collected material underwent analysis using narrative and thematic approaches, along with memory construction techniques.Results:the findings indicate heightened challenges in accessing health services, particularly for sexual and reproductive health. The pandemic deepened inequities in the sexual division of labor, leading to increased domestic and professional workloads, economic insecurity, elevated tensions in affective-sexual relationships, greater exposure to violence, and notable repercussions on psycho-emotional health. These factors collectively influenced women's health/illness experiences, sexual lives, and reproductive plans during the initial years of the pandemic. Conclusion: the intersection of the health crisis with a democratic crisis in rights has intertwined social and physiological factors into the historical and material experiences of women's sexual and reproductive bodies. These experiences follow the trajectories of gender, race, and class-based precariousness and injustices. Women's accounts contribute to the construction of a collective memory of the pandemic that is not necessarily uniform or linear. Beyond illustrating the present moment, these memories aid in understanding and addressing similar crises in the future.

Objetivo: comprender cómo la pandemia de COVID-19 afectó la vida y la salud de las mujeres, con énfasis en aspectos de salud sexual y reproductiva y reflexionar sobre los derechos sexuales y reproductivos y la justicia reproductiva, en el contexto de la crisis sanitaria. Metodología:se utilizó un cuestionario online con 113 preguntas objetivas y una pregunta abierta para comentarios libres al final. De 8.313 mujeres que respondieron el cuestionario, 1.838 relataron sus experiencias durante la pandemia, en este espacio abierto. Este material fue analizado mediante técnicas análisis de narrativa y temática y de construcción de memoria. Resultados: hubo aumento de las dificultades para acceder a los servicios de salud, especialmente de salud sexual y reproductiva, profundización de las inequidades en la división sexual del trabajo, con sobrecarga de trabajo doméstico y profesional, inseguridad económica, tensiones en las relaciones afectivo-sexuales y mayor exposición. a la violencia, e importantes repercusiones en la salud psicoemocional. Todos estos aspectos afectaron las experiencias de salud/enfermedad, la vida sexual, los planes y experiencias reproductivas, en los primeros años de la pandemia. Conclusión: en Brasil, en el solapamiento de la crisis sanitaria con la crisis democrática y de derechos, hechos sociales y hechos fisiológicos se mezclan y totalizan en la experiencia histórica y material de los cuerpos sexuales y reproductivos de las mujeres, siguiendo las líneas de fuerza de la precariedad y las injusticias. de género, raza y clase. Las narrativas de las mujeres contribuyen a la construcción de una memoria colectiva ­no necesariamente unívoca y lineal ­ de la pandemia. Memorias que no sólo pueden ilustrar el momento presente, sino que también contribuyen a comprender y afrontar crisis futuras similares.

Women's voice on changes in childbirth care practices: a qualitative approach to women's experiences in Brazilian private hospitals participating in the Adequate Childbirth Project.

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, childbirth practices are strongly marked by surgical events and particularly in the private sector cesarean sections reach rates above 80%. The National Supplementary Health Agency proposed the Adequate Childbirth Project (PPA), a quality improvement project developed at Brazilian hospitals with the aim of changing the current model of childbirth care and reducing unnecessary cesarean sections. The objective of this study is to assess how the participation of women in the process of improving quality childbirth care occurred in two hospitals participating in the PPA. METHOD: Qualitative study, based on interviews with 102 women attended at two hospitals that took part in the first and second stages of the "Healthy Birth", an evaluative hospital-based research, conducted in 2017-2018, that assessed the degree of implementation and the effects of PPA. After thematic content analysis, supported by MaxQda software, three categories emerged: (1) how women gathered knowledge about the PPA, (2) how women perceived it, and (3) which are their suggestions for the PPA improvement. RESULTS: The PPA was unknown to most women before delivery. A polysemy of terms, including adequate childbirth, promotes recognition of the "new" model of care. Visits to the maternity hospital and antenatal care groups for pregnant women are opportunities for contacts that change the perception of what childbirth can be. Women have expectations of a relationship with maternity that is not limited to the moment of delivery. The listening channels established between hospitals and women are fragile and not systematized. By increasing the supply of listening spaces, one can also increase the request to leave their suggestions and contributions, and thus gain more allies in improving the project. Women are not yet included as PPA agents and their voices are silenced. CONCLUSIONS: Women's participation to improve childbirth care is relevant and necessary. The women's voice in the PPA is still incipient, and maternity hospitals and health plan operators should create strategies to insert and engage them. Women's voices should be listened to not only during but also before and after childbirth.

In Brazil, childbirth practices are strongly marked by surgical events and particularly in the private sector cesarean sections reach rates above 80%. The Adequate Childbirth Project (PPA) is a quality improvement project developed at Brazilian hospitals with the aim of changing the current model of childbirth care and reducing unnecessary cesarean sections. A qualitative study was developed in order to understand how hospitals have included the participation of women in the PPA. Based on interviews with 102 women, the present study shows that the PPA was unknown to most women before delivery. A polysemy of terms, including adequate childbirth, promotes recognition of the "new" model of care. Visits to the hospital and antenatal care groups for pregnant women are opportunities for contacts that change the perception of what childbirth can be. Women's participation to improve childbirth care is relevant and necessary. The women's voice in the PPA is still incipient and women are not yet included as agents of change, and their voices are silenced. Hospitals and health plan operators should create strategies to engage them. Women's voices may be listened to not only during but also before and after childbirth.

Process of adhesion of the Adequate Childbirth Program to improve obstetric care in private hospitals in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: In 2015, a quality improvement project called "Projeto Parto Adequado-PPA" was implemented in Brazilian private hospitals to reduce unnecessary high rates of cesarean sections. This study aimed to analyze the decision-making process of managers and care leaders to adhere to the PPA. METHODS: The Healthy Birth study is evaluative research that used mixed methods to evaluate the implementation and effects of the Adequate Childbirth Program in 12 hospitals that participated in the program. Eight out of 12 hospitals were selected for a qualitative approach. We interviewed ten managers and 24 care leaders from July to October 2017. The interviews were transcripted, and data was systematized using the MaxQda software, with Thematic Content Analysis, to identify the facilitators and barriers for adherence to the Adequate Childbirth Program. We used the conceptions of the Diffusion of Innovation as an analytical reference. RESULTS: The main reasons to adhere to the Adequate Childbirth Program were the absence of other quality improvements programs in Brazilian private services using multifaceted interventions, social and market status for participating; commitment to quality of care; and the possibility of structural reforms related to the Adequate Childbirth Program implementation. In addition, inviting hospital influencers to learn about the objectives and intentions of the project before joining was considered an important strategy to motivate hospitals. CONCLUSION: Social, cultural, and economic constructs motivated adherence. The invitation strategy used by the Adequate Childbirth Program coordination, through socially respected members in Brazil, such as doctors, was highly valued by the leaders of the hospital team and encouraged adherence to the Program.

In 2015, a quality improvement program, called the "Adequate Childbirth Program" (PPA), was recommended by the National Supplementary Health Agency so that Brazilian private hospitals could, through a change in the care model, reduce unnecessary cesarean sections and stimulate the natural and safe process in childbirth. The process of adhering to the PPA was studied in this article. Ten managers and 24 assistant leaders were interviewed in 08 private hospitals in Brazil. The main reasons for joining the PPA were the absence of other quality improvement programs; for being a program considered necessary in the country's midwifery, which could increase the prestige of hospitals in the view of women and families; for proposing an improvement in the quality of care; and for stimulating of structural and ambiance reforms. Social, cultural, and economic values motivated hospital adherence. The invitation strategy used by the PPA coordination, through socially respected members in Brazil, such as medical professionals, was highly valued by the hospital's leaders and encouraged adherence to the Program.

Care at the first postnatal hour in two hospitals of the Adequate Birth Project: qualitative analysis of experiences in two stages of the Healthy Birth research.

BACKGROUND:  The Adequate Childbirth Project (PPA) is a quality improvement project that aims to enhance normal delivery and reduce cesarean sections with no clinical indication in the Brazilian supplementary health care system. This study aims to analyze the care model of the first postpartum hour in hospitals that participated in the PPA. METHODS: Qualitative analysis based on the narrative of 102 women attended at two hospitals participating in the evaluative "Healthy Birth" research that analyzed the degree of implementation and the effects of the PPA. We assessed three practices within the first hour after delivery: skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding and appropriate clamping of the umbilical cord. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews by telephone and submitted to thematic content analysis. RESULTS: The categories that emerged from the analysis of the results were "Dimension of time and care expressed in the lived experience" and "Interferences in care in the first hour of life". In the first category, women reported that in the first hour after delivery the newborn was placed on the mother's chest, but the length of time of the newborn's stay in skin-to-skin contact was less than one hour. This experience, even in a shorter period of time, was said to be positive by the women interviewed. Two barriers were observed: interruption of skin-to-skin contact for neonatal care and the transfer to the recovery room, both separating baby from mother without observing the duration of the "golden hour". It was identified that a process of improvement of the quality of care for childbirth is underway, with a gradual incorporation of recommended practices for care in newborn's first hour of life. CONCLUSIONS: Women reported access to the three care practices at two hospitals participating in the PPA quality improvement project. All practices were valued by women as a positive experience and should be promoted. Information during antenatal care to increase women´s autonomy, review of hospital practices to reduce barriers, and support from health care providers during the first hour after birth are needed to improve the implementation of these practices and access to their health benefits.

This study aims to analyze the care model of the first postpartum hour offered by two hospitals participating in the Adequate Childbirth Project (PPA), a quality improvement project to enhance normal delivery and reduce unnecessary cesarean sections in Brazilian private hospital. It is a qualitative analysis, based on the narrative of 102 women attended at two hospitals participating in the PPA. Categories that emerged from the analysis: "First hour; dimension of time and care expressed in the lived experience" and "Interferences in care in the first hour of life". Most women expressed a chronological time of skin-to-skin contact far from the ideal recommended in the first postpartum hour; however, they valued the experience and its meaning. Two barriers were observed in this care process: the interruption of skin-to-skin contact for neonatal care and the transfer to the recovery room, without observing the duration of the "golden hour". We can conclude that women evaluated the service positively, with indications that point to the sustainability of the PPA. Information during antenatal care to increase women´s autonomy are needed to improve the implementation of these practices and access to their health benefits.