PhD L.T. (Lyzette) Laureij

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

This thesis explores how perinatal care can be better tailored to women in vulnerable situations, such as those with a low socio-economic status, who are at higher risk for poor pregnancy and childbirth outcomes compared to women in non-vulnerable circumstances. We examined the expectations and experiences of these women regarding perinatal care. A key finding was that the current information provided does not meet the needs of this group. Additionally, we explored how postpartum care could be better aligned with their needs and whether eHealth could play a supportive role.
Furthermore, we investigated the applicability of an international set of pregnancy and childbirth outcomes prior to its implementation in the Netherlands, and its implementation in several regions. This care approach focuses on both outcomes collected by healthcare providers and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) and experiences (PREMs). We demonstrated that these tools foster women's engagement in their care and enhance their self-efficacy. They require healthcare providers to work closely together to ensure continuity of care, from pregnancy through the postpartum period, with women expressing a need for this care to extend up to six months after childbirth.
The findings emphasize that structuring care according to the equity principle, where equal healthcare outcomes are prioritized over equal accessibility, is essential for improving outcomes for women in vulnerable circumstances.