Developing professional education to support cultural humility in maternal health care: Reflecting on a co-design project with refugee and migrant women

Abstract

Background

Culturally safe care is critical to positive maternal health experiences and outcomes. However, refugee and migrant women often experience inequities in maternal healthcare. To address these challenges, healthcare providers are increasingly using co-design. Much of this research focusses on evaluating outcomes or using traditional methods to obtain lived experience input. Comparatively, there is a paucity of research detailing how to achieve value-based co-design with refugee and migrant women.

Aim

The project aimed to co-design an education resource to support the development of cultural humility in a maternal health care service within a local public hospital. This paper reports on the co-design methods used to engage refugee and migrant women and healthcare providers and discusses the principles that should guide co-design.

Method

We used a value-based co-design approach to work with refugee and migrant women and maternal health care providers to co-create local solutions including development of education resources for use in maternal health services. Multiple participatory methods were used to work with women and providers.

Findings

Key principles identified through the value-based co-design process included collaboration, empowerment, openness and respect. Various techniques were used to ensure these principles were central to how the team functioned.

Discussion and Conclusion

Reflecting on key values assisted in the identification of recommendations for successful partnership with refugee and migrant women in future projects. Importantly, recommendations hold relevance across different co-design methods as they outline ways of upholding the values underpinning any co-design project.