{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T18:21:47Z","timestamp":1774894907796,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774828800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100013873","name":"Government of Ontario","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Ontario Graduate Scholarship"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Ontario Graduate Scholarship"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100013873","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100023459","name":"Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Partnership Capacity Building Fund (#520124)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Partnership Capacity Building Fund (#520124)"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100023459","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The extent to which prenatal care is equity-oriented significantly influences patient satisfaction, care-seeking decisions, and health outcomes for both parent and newborn. The social determinants of health shape care experiences, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations (e.g., low-income, rural, racial minorities). This study explores prenatal patients\u2019 care experiences and examines the impact of health inequities on these experiences.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This patient-partner-oriented, cross-sectional, qualitative study was guided by Cochrane\u2019s PROGRESS-Plus equity framework and carried out using a pragmatist paradigm. Purposeful, maximum variation sampling recruited individuals in Ontario, Canada who had been pregnant or experienced pregnancy loss within the last 12 months. Participants completed a 5-minute sociodemographic survey and a 1-hour semi-structured interview on their prenatal care experiences and equity impacts. Analysis included descriptive statistics, and inductive and deductive content analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study included 18 participants, half identifying as racial minorities. All participants interacted with a healthcare professional during pregnancy; most were followed by a primary care physician (n\u2009=\u200916), half by an obstetrician (n\u2009=\u20099), half by a nurse (n\u2009=\u20099), and\/or eight by a midwife. Qualitative findings included experiences in accessing care ranging from feelings of powerlessness to continuity of care challenges, influenced by geographical and financial barriers. In addition, experiences of patient-centered care encompassed empathetic practitioners, validation of concerns, and power dynamics, influenced by discrimination and advocacy for personalized support.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study offers an in depth understanding of experiences that have the potential to improve pregnancy care including targeted access to health services in remote areas, diminishing patient-provider hierarchies, culturally-sensitive care approaches for trust-building, and community engagement. Findings can inform healthcare professionals and policymakers about patients\u2019 expectations of equity-oriented prenatal care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0345200","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T17:24:01Z","timestamp":1774891441000},"page":"e0345200","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Exploring prenatal care experiences in Ontario, Canada: An equity-oriented qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8904-3186","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Zeenat","family":"Ladak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Muzzammil","family":"Hooda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tolulope","family":"Ojo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6700-3383","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Daphne","family":"To","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-5930-3946","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Rochelle","family":"Simmons","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jennifer","family":"Shuldiner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ummul-Kiram","family":"Patrawala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Emily","family":"Nicholas Angl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Celia","family":"Laur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mehdiya","family":"Hemani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Olesya","family":"Falenchuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Richard","family":"Volpe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Noah M.","family":"Ivers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]]},"reference":[{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0345200.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"635","DOI":"10.1111\/1468-0009.12349","article-title":"How Equity-Oriented Health Care Affects Health: Key Mechanisms and Implications for Primary Health Care Practice and Policy","volume":"96","author":"M Ford-Gilboe","year":"2018","journal-title":"Milbank Q"},{"key":"pone.0345200.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hart JT. 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