Universal Early Home Visiting: A Strategy for Reaching All Postpartum Women

• Published in: Maternal and child health journal Vol. 23; no. 10; pp. 1414 - 1423
• Main Authors: Handler, Arden, Zimmermann, Kristine, Dominik, Bethany, Garland, Caitlin E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-10-2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Babies; Child development; Childrens health; Female; Gynecology; Health aspects; Health visiting; Home Care Services - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Illinois; Interviews as Topic - methods; Maternal & child health; Maternal and Child Health; Medicaid; Medical personnel; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mothers; Newborn babies; Nurses; Pediatrics; Population Economics; Postnatal care; Postnatal Care - methods; Postpartum period; Postpartum Period - psychology; Practice; Pregnancy; Public Health; Qualitative Research; Quality control; Research projects; Sociology; Women; Women's Health - trends; Womens health; Illinois; Evaluation; Universal; Home visit; Postpartum
• ISSN: 1092-7875; 1573-6628
• DOI: 10.1007/s10995-019-02794-5

Objective
The objective of this study is to consider the role of universal nurse home visiting in the postpartum period as a potential strategy to promote women’s postnatal health. This study was derived from a formative research project aimed at understanding the early implementation of the Illinois Family Connects (IFC) universal postpartum home visiting program as perceived by key informants.
Methods
Data from eighteen key informant (KI) interviews conducted between January and February 2018 and quantitative data extracted from reports from two IFC pilot counties were analyzed. Qualitative data were analyzed using Dedoose Version 8.0.
Results
Data suggest that universal postpartum nurse home visiting has appeal as a postpartum women’s health strategy. The data also suggest that the success of such a strategy likely depends on: the value women, families, and community stakeholders attach to the program; the appeal of its universality and the support for home visiting by nurses in particular; the processes adopted by the hospitals and agencies implementing the program; strategies for engaging women after leaving the hospital; and, the initial and ongoing marketing of the program, which ultimately may affect women’s willingness to participate.
Conclusions for Practice
Universal early postpartum home visiting is not a substitute for a woman’s visit with a medical provider; however, it should be viewed not only as an early childhood program but an important strategy for improving the delivery of postpartum care for women.