Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators in Caring for Women with Gestational Diabetes in Rural Appalachia

摘要

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore perspectives of healthcare providers in rural Appalachia who care for pregnant women with gestational diabetes, including management facilitators and barriers. Study Design and Methods: Qualitative study with interviews and thematic analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted using the sort and sift method after inductive content analysis with open coding, identifying categories, and abstraction. Results: Twenty-one advanced practice nurses and 10 physicians participated in the study. Three themes were identified: rural healthcare challenges including limited resources and lack of adherence to recommendations, cultural influences including normalization of diabetes and food culture, and collaborative care including accessible resources and patient motivation.