Barrier-free communication in maternity care of allophone migrants: BRIDGE study protocol.

Aim: To describe communication and access barriers encountered by allophone women of different migration backgrounds in the Swiss maternity care services, from the perspective of users, healthcare professionals and intercultural interpreters.

Background: In addition to the challenges of maternal adjustment, pregnant migrant women must also deal with an unfamiliar health service system. Some must overcome language barriers and the stress of uncertain residence status. Limited access to maternity care increases perinatal morbidity and mortality. Almost 10% of foreigners speak none of Switzerland's official languages. Factors that facilitate or hinder communication between migrant women and perinatal healthcare professionals are under‐studied and must be understood if we are to overcome those barriers in clinical practice.

Design: Qualitative exploratory study with quantitative sub‐study.