Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Information flow as reproductive governance. Patient journey analysis of information barriers and facilitators to abortion care in the republic of Ireland
AU - Duffy, Deirdre
AU - Mishtal, Joanna
AU - Grimes, Lorraine
AU - Murphy, Mark
AU - Reeves, Karli
AU - Chakravarty, Dyuti
AU - Chavkin, Wendy
AU - Favier, Mary
AU - Horgan, Patricia
AU - Stifani, Bianca
AU - Lavelanet, Antonella F.
PY - 2022/9/30
Y1 - 2022/9/30
N2 - Background: Information flow – information communication and transmission pathways and practices within healthcare systems – impacts patient journeys. Historically, regulating information flow was a key technology of reproductive governance in the Republic of Ireland. Pre-2018, law and the State sustained informational barriers to and through abortion care in Ireland. An expanded abortion service was implemented in January 2019. Method: Patient Journey Analysis (PJA) interrogates informational facilitators and barriers to/through post-2019 abortion care in Ireland. We focus on information flow at the interfaces between the ‘public’ sphere and ‘point of entry’, ‘point of entry’ and primary care, and primary and secondary care. Materials: The paper uses data from a mixed-method study. A tool for assessing online abortion service information (ASIAT), desktop research, and qualitative data from 108 in-depth interviews with providers, policy-makers, advocacy groups, and service users informed the analysis. Results: Abortion patient journeys vary. Information flow issues, e.g. communication of how to access services, referral systems, and information handover, act as barriers and facilitators. Barriers increase where movement from primary to secondary is needed. Applications: The article identifies good practice in information flow strategy, as well as areas for development. It illustrates the significance of information flow in accomplishing reproductive governance.
AB - Background: Information flow – information communication and transmission pathways and practices within healthcare systems – impacts patient journeys. Historically, regulating information flow was a key technology of reproductive governance in the Republic of Ireland. Pre-2018, law and the State sustained informational barriers to and through abortion care in Ireland. An expanded abortion service was implemented in January 2019. Method: Patient Journey Analysis (PJA) interrogates informational facilitators and barriers to/through post-2019 abortion care in Ireland. We focus on information flow at the interfaces between the ‘public’ sphere and ‘point of entry’, ‘point of entry’ and primary care, and primary and secondary care. Materials: The paper uses data from a mixed-method study. A tool for assessing online abortion service information (ASIAT), desktop research, and qualitative data from 108 in-depth interviews with providers, policy-makers, advocacy groups, and service users informed the analysis. Results: Abortion patient journeys vary. Information flow issues, e.g. communication of how to access services, referral systems, and information handover, act as barriers and facilitators. Barriers increase where movement from primary to secondary is needed. Applications: The article identifies good practice in information flow strategy, as well as areas for development. It illustrates the significance of information flow in accomplishing reproductive governance.
KW - Abortion access
KW - Barriers
KW - Facilitators
KW - Information flow
KW - Ireland
KW - Reproductive governance
U2 - 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101132
DO - 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101132
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35711728
AN - SCOPUS:85131680452
VL - 19
JO - SSM - Population Health
JF - SSM - Population Health
SN - 2352-8273
M1 - 101132
ER -