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Background: People with Parkinson's disease (PD) do not always access specialist outpatient services in a timely manner in Ireland. The perspectives of people living with PD, relating to service access, are largely absent in the existing literature. Aim: To explore experiences of PD service access for people living with PD, using a qualitative approach. Methods: Purposive maximum variation sampling was used. Semi‐structured telephone interviews were conducted with 25 service users, including people with PD (n = 22) and supporting carers (n = 3). Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Interviews ranged in duration from 30 to 90 min. Data were managed in NVivo 12 and interpreted inductively using thematic analysis. The researchers were reflexive throughout the research process. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was employed to maximise transparency. Results: The findings highlight several key barriers to and facilitators of equitable and timely service access. Three key themes were identified comprising experiences of PD service access including 'geographical inequity', 'discriminatory practices', and 'public and private system deficits'. Together, these themes illustrate how a two‐tiered and under‐resourced health system lacks capacity, in terms of infrastructure and workforce, to meet PD needs for both public and private patients in Ireland. Conclusions: These findings point to problems for PD care, relating to (i) how the health system is structured, (ii) the under‐provision and under‐resourcing of specialist outpatient PD services, including medical, nursing, and multidisciplinary posts, and (iii) insufficient PD awareness education and training across health settings. The findings also show that telemedicine can provide opportunities for making access to certain aspects of PD care more flexible and equitable, but the feasibility and acceptability of technology‐enabled care must be assessed on an individual basis. Implications for policy, practice and research are discussed. Patient or Public Contribution: The design and conduct of this study were supported by an expert advisory group (EAG) of 10 co‐researchers living with PD. The EAG reviewed the interview schedule and the protocol for this study and provided detailed feedback from their perspective, to improve the methods, including the interview approach. The group also reviewed the findings of the study and contributed their insights on the meaning of the findings, which fed into this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Modifiable factors such as substance use, lack of attendance at antenatal care, overweight or obesity and sleeping position are associated with a higher risk of stillbirth. This qualitative study aimed to explore women's experiences of modifiable factors during pregnancy and their awareness of stillbirth. Methods: Purposive sampling was implemented by hospital staff in a large tertiary maternity hospital in Ireland between November 2020 and March 2021. Women were approached during their stay in the hospital and were invited to participate in a semistructured interview 3–5 months later. Eligible women were primiparous, >18 years of age and had an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. Eighteen women who consented to be followed up were interviewed at 3–5 months postpartum. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Four themes were identified: attitudes towards behaviour change, awareness regarding stillbirth and risk factors, the silence around stillbirth and risks, and attitudes towards receiving information about stillbirth. Women spoke about behaviour change in terms of outcomes, and most changes (e.g., ceasing alcohol consumption) were perceived as easy to manage. Awareness of stillbirth was limited among the women interviewed, and the association between risk behaviours and stillbirth was not known by any woman. Results suggest that there is a silence around stillbirth, including in antenatal care, which hinders information provision. However, most women highlighted the value of receiving information and extra education about modifiable risk factors and stillbirth. Conclusion: There is a general lack of understanding of the link between behavioural risk factors and potential pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth. Providing further information to women about stillbirth and providing additional support with behaviour change might contribute to enhancing preventive efforts. Patient or Public Contribution: Patients were involved in this study by providing their experiences of antenatal care which were used as primary data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crisis pregnancy counselling (CPC) is a specific form of crisis counselling, whereby the pregnancy represents a personal crisis for the woman involved. While much research has been undertaken into understanding the antecedents and outcomes of crisis pregnancy, few studies have examined the experience of CPC from the perspective of counsellors. In addition, no studies to date have examined the changes in the experience of CPC following substantial changes in abortion legislation. The current study therefore aimed to describe the experiences of providing CPC within the context of recent legislative changes pertaining to the provision of abortion in Ireland. Seven semi‐structured, in‐depth individual interviews were conducted with counsellors and therapists who had provided CPC in the Irish context. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Four superordinate themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) tension created by legislative conditions, (2) the impact of societal views and stigma, (3) a new sense of freedom, and (4) finding meaning and motivation in supporting women's choices. Overall, the study highlights that CPC is a complex experience, which differs in important ways from providing counselling in other contexts, including other forms of crisis counselling. Implications for policy and practice are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]