Obstacles and opportunities: a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Flanders, Belgium
The COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding measures impacted the organisation of services for abortion on request in Flanders, Belgium. This study describes abortion centre staff’s perceptions of the influence of protective measures on abortion consultations and procedures, and aims to identify obstacl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2021.1921901 |
| _version_ | 1831518850620850176 |
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| author | Leen De Kort Edwin Wouters Sarah Van de Velde |
| author_facet | Leen De Kort Edwin Wouters Sarah Van de Velde |
| author_sort | Leen De Kort |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding measures impacted the organisation of services for abortion on request in Flanders, Belgium. This study describes abortion centre staff’s perceptions of the influence of protective measures on abortion consultations and procedures, and aims to identify obstacles and opportunities that arose from this situation. Through the anonymised patient records of one Flemish abortion centre, we compared the number of requests and abortions during the first lockdown (16 March–14 June 2020) with the same period in the five preceding years. Using a phenomenological approach, we documented the procedures and conducted interviews (all inductively coded in Nvivo) with the centre’s coordinator, seven psychosocial staff members and three doctors. Though fewer people requested and had an abortion, the pressure on the staff was high due to changed procedures. A substantial change was the substitution of telephone for in-person consultations, which the staff perceived as less suited for discussing worries, contraception counselling, and building trust. The centre remained accessible, but the staff perceived an influence on the emotional reactions of clients. Staff agreed that the lockdown did not negatively influence the abortion procedure itself. However, they felt a negative influence on the level of psychological support they could offer, especially in interactions with clients who were less certain of their choice and clients with whom there was no common language. When the lockdown was relaxed, a triage system was set up to ensure emotionally safe abortion care – as perceived by staff – for all clients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:35:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9fc4718d769e4ed58b30ebb2a38ddd0d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2641-0397 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:35:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters |
| spelling | doaj.art-9fc4718d769e4ed58b30ebb2a38ddd0d2022-12-21T23:43:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSexual and Reproductive Health Matters2641-03972021-01-0129118019510.1080/26410397.2021.19219011921901Obstacles and opportunities: a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Flanders, BelgiumLeen De Kort0Edwin Wouters1Sarah Van de Velde2University of AntwerpUniversity of AntwerpUniversity of AntwerpThe COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding measures impacted the organisation of services for abortion on request in Flanders, Belgium. This study describes abortion centre staff’s perceptions of the influence of protective measures on abortion consultations and procedures, and aims to identify obstacles and opportunities that arose from this situation. Through the anonymised patient records of one Flemish abortion centre, we compared the number of requests and abortions during the first lockdown (16 March–14 June 2020) with the same period in the five preceding years. Using a phenomenological approach, we documented the procedures and conducted interviews (all inductively coded in Nvivo) with the centre’s coordinator, seven psychosocial staff members and three doctors. Though fewer people requested and had an abortion, the pressure on the staff was high due to changed procedures. A substantial change was the substitution of telephone for in-person consultations, which the staff perceived as less suited for discussing worries, contraception counselling, and building trust. The centre remained accessible, but the staff perceived an influence on the emotional reactions of clients. Staff agreed that the lockdown did not negatively influence the abortion procedure itself. However, they felt a negative influence on the level of psychological support they could offer, especially in interactions with clients who were less certain of their choice and clients with whom there was no common language. When the lockdown was relaxed, a triage system was set up to ensure emotionally safe abortion care – as perceived by staff – for all clients.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2021.1921901covid-19abortionhealthcare workersbelgiumqualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Leen De Kort Edwin Wouters Sarah Van de Velde Obstacles and opportunities: a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Flanders, Belgium Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters covid-19 abortion healthcare workers belgium qualitative research |
| title | Obstacles and opportunities: a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Flanders, Belgium |
| title_full | Obstacles and opportunities: a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Flanders, Belgium |
| title_fullStr | Obstacles and opportunities: a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Flanders, Belgium |
| title_full_unstemmed | Obstacles and opportunities: a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Flanders, Belgium |
| title_short | Obstacles and opportunities: a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Flanders, Belgium |
| title_sort | obstacles and opportunities a qualitative study of the experiences of abortion centre staff with abortion care during the first covid 19 lockdown in flanders belgium |
| topic | covid-19 abortion healthcare workers belgium qualitative research |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2021.1921901 |
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