Funding outcome

This study focuses on the perinatal health of refugee women in Alberta, centering on the New Canadians Health Centre (NCHC), which provides healthcare and health system navigation to government-assisted refugees in Edmonton. The study aims to assess how well the NCHC supports refugee women during pregnancy and after childbirth, and identify potential improvement areas in patient experiences, health system navigation, and overall quality of care, considering complex health concerns such as trauma and other sociocultural factors that affect obstetrical outcomes. Using a mix of methods, the team will analyze medical records to gather information about the backgrounds and health of refugee women. We will also interview women and conduct focus groups with service providers to learn about their experiences, needs, challenges, and what works well in perinatal healthcare. The team will examine the roles of various service providers in facilitating prenatal health access, transition to primary care for birth, and postpartum support. Guided by the Research and Evaluation Committee (REC) and the Circle of Lived Experience (CLE), which includes refugees with first-hand experience of NCHC services, the study will involve patient partners in all research phases, from co-designing research questions to interpreting findings. A co-design team comprising members from both the REC and CLE will oversee the project, convening monthly to support recruitment, data collection, analysis, and knowledge mobilization. Our team brings expertise in refugee health, maternal-fetal medicine, public health, psychology, and community-based participatory research to this work with diverse community stakeholders. We will create data-driven strategies and recommendations through an analysis of refugee women's reports and stakeholder consultations. We aim to share recommendations with decision-makers to improve healthcare for refugee women, and other refugee health centers in Alberta can replicate them.