Arathi Rao

Fellowship Site: Manipal Academy Of Higher Education, India

Project Title: Lived experience of the double burden of COVID-19 and cardiac diseases among women in a coastal town of South India: An exploratory study

COVID-19 patients with underlying cardiac diseases have an extremely poor prognosis, with higher mortality compared to those without a cardiac history. In the Indian subcontinent, with patriarchal societies, the double burden of COVID-19 infection and a cardiac complication can increase the health care expenditure of the families. Social security schemes and Direct Benefit Transfer policies might sometimes fall short to meet the demands and might not be timely due to bureaucracy issues. The present study is aimed to focus on the lived experience of these women during the unexpected pandemic. Aim 1: Using qualitative methods, to explore the experiences of women with cardiac diseases during COVID-19 pandemic from their own perspectives. Aim 2: Using qualitative methods, to understand the constraints faced by women with cardiac dieases with respect to health seeking behaviour and treatment in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. For Aim 1, we intend to explore the familial and in-patient experiences of women with cardiac manifestations adopting a descriptive, qualitative design with a phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling and in-depth interviews will be conducted to uncover the stressors, challenges and barriers faced by women to access and avail diagnosis and treatment services in the region. These interviews would provide insights and reveal the interpersonal and sociocultural context affecting their experience during the pandemic situation For Aim 2, the interviews will explore how the participants faced the changes in health care services due to COVID-19 situation. This will help comprehend contextual changes like loss of jobs, home bound spouse domestic violence, home-bound children with online mode of schooling with increased demands on their personal time and space. The changing family and social dynamics will be explored to understand their influence on the treatment seeking behaviour and if any coping strategies were adopted to circumvent the transition in familial and community environment. The outcome of this research can enable the frontline health workers and skilled health care providers to put in place guidelines for co-existent emergencies in future.