Amplifying the Voice of Black Mothers Diagnosed with Hypertension after Birth Regarding Patient-Clinician Communication: Lessons Learned Using a Mixed-Methods Approach

Researching vulnerable populations means the researcher has the responsibility to ensure that their voices are magnified. Certain methods should be utilized during recruitment and data collection to garner the trust of your population and be able to capture their experiences accurately. Black postpartum mothers are a unique vulnerable population that involves convenience, patience, and opportunity. During qualitative data collection, many lessons were learned on how to interview them and capture their experiences, but the primary challenge was recruitment. Due to a history of research abuse among Black Americans, many of them have been resistant to research participation. However, due to the recent Black maternal mortality crisis, many Black postpartum mothers felt moved to contribute to this research focus in efforts to help other Black mothers. Race-concordance with the primary investigator also served a great purpose as participants felt more comfortable sharing their experiences. Many were very honest, expressing that they knew their voices would be heard by a black woman. Intentionally adopting the listed qualitative interview technique provided rich qualitative data and empowered Black postpartum mothers to freely share their experiences.