2 research outputs found
Family Home Visitors: Increasing Minority Women’s Access to Health Services
The article describes how service access barriers (language, trust) were addressed at different levels (organization, service provider, community) by involving Family Home Visitors to support Nurse Practitioners in providing pre- and postnatal services to linguisÂtic minority women in Ontario. The investigators undertook a secondary analysis of 18 semi-structured interviews with health unit informants, Nurse Practitioners, program usÂers, and community leaders, including Family Home Visitors. Health units facilitated colÂlaboration between two programs aimed at serving mothers with young children, resultÂing in both programs using Family Home Visitors. They enhanced minority women’s trust in Nurse Practitioner services by providing interpretation, outreach and support. Family Home Visitors increased Nurse Practitioners’ community knowledge and insights of the family situation. The findings contribute to our understanding of strategies to overcome language and trust barriers and improve access to programs for isolated women from linguistic minority backgrounds. Family Home Visitors’ role has the potential for being expanded and deserves more system support