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How to Support the Referral Towards Group Antenatal Care in Belgian Primary Healthcare Organization: A Qualitative Study [Response to Letter]
Authors Talrich F, Van Damme A, Bastiaens HLA , Bergs J , Rijnders MEB , Beeckman K
Received 13 February 2023
Accepted for publication 21 February 2023
Published 28 February 2023 Volume 2023:15 Pages 341—342
Florence Talrich,1,2 Astrid Van Damme,1,2 Hilde LA Bastiaens,3 Jochen Bergs,4 Marlies EB Rijnders,5 Katrien Beeckman1,2,6
1Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Jette, Belgium; 2Department of Nursing and Midwifery Research Group (NUMID), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Jette, Belgium; 3Department Family Medicine and Population Health, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium; 4Department of Healthcare, Universiteit Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium; 5Department of Child Health, TNO, Leiden, the Netherlands; 6Department Nursing and Midwifery, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium
Correspondence: Florence Talrich, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussel, Jette, 1090, Belgium, Tel +324749853, Email [email protected]
View the original paper by Miss Talrich and colleagues
This is in response to the Letter to the Editor
Dear editor
We have read the letter of Andi M Multazam written in response to our paper “How to Support the Referral Towards Group Antenatal Care in Belgian Primary Healthcare Organizations: A Qualitative Study.”
Firstly, we wish to thank the author for his interest in our paper and his suggestion. The author suggests an alternative method of care providing, namely Internet-based Centering Pregnancy.
The Group Antenatal Care (GANC) model implemented in our study is based on the CenteringPregnancy® model and aims to offer an integral prenatal follow-up.1,2 It includes the medical assessment. The model serves as a substitute and not as a complement to prenatal care. Participants actively participate in their care, including measuring their own blood pressure and weight. This encourages self-reliance and empowerment. Internet-based Centering Pregnancy does not include this medical component. Therefore, although we believe in the added value of such a model in a specific context, it does not offer an alternative for our study.
Besides this medical component, interactive learning and the reinforcement of the social network are two important pillars in the GANC model. Regarding interactive learning, the sharing of information and experiences among group members is encouraged. GANC facilitators encourage this interaction using specific materials and activities. A social network is established by creating space and time for informal contact before, during, and after the sessions. These elements are not transferable as such in an internet-based approach.
In conclusion, we can say that Internet-based Centering Pregnancy can complement traditional one-to-one follow-up, when GANC is not an option due to, for example, the COVID pandemic. However, our aim was to examine the implementation of the GANC model as an integral prenatal follow-up including medical follow-up and therefore cannot be replaced by Internet-based Centering Pregnancy.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this communication.
References
1. Rising SS. Centering pregnancy. An interdisciplinary model of empowerment. J Nurse Midwifery. 1998;43(1):46–54. doi:10.1016/S0091-2182(97)00117-1
2. Rising SS, Kennedy HP, Klima CS. Redesigning prenatal care through CenteringPregnancy. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2004;49(5):398–404. doi:10.1111/j.1542-2011.2004.tb04433.x
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