Relationships within MOMS Orange County care coordinated home visitation perinatal program

Area of Science:

• Healthcare team dynamics
• Community health programs
• Perinatal care

Background:

• Coordinated home visitation programs are vital for supporting underserved perinatal women.
• Understanding interprofessional collaboration is key to optimizing program effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the collaborative relationship between registered nurses (RNs) and paraprofessional home visitors (PHVs) in a community-based perinatal health program.
• To identify the roles, perceptions, and communication patterns within this healthcare team.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing individual interviews with RNs and focus groups with PHVs.
• Employed qualitative content analysis to synthesize themes from participant perspectives.
• Study conducted at MOMS Orange County, a community-based perinatal health program.

Main Results:

• RNs viewed their roles as educators, mentors, and supervisors.
• PHVs perceived themselves as supporters, coaches, and advocates.
• Interdependence and proactive communication facilitated effective collaboration, with RNs training PHVs in health education, enhancing client-provider connections.

Conclusions:

• This study offers novel insights into the team dynamics and communication patterns within a US-based coordinated home visitation program.
• Highlights the importance of interprofessional collaboration for improving perinatal health outcomes.
• Recommends future research to include client and provider perspectives on home visitation experiences.