Objective: The infant mortality rate in Boston increased in 1997. The findings from Boston’s Infant Mortality Review (IMR) and a periods of risk analysis demonstrated that the health of women prior to conception accounts for a significant proportion of the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. This prompted the public health community to develop a comprehensive primary care model for women of childbearing age. Method: The Boston Public Health Commission began by convening a multidisciplinary and multicultural task force, consisting of community agency providers and administrators, public health officials and researchers. This presentation describes the first step of the process: the development of a comprehensive health assessment questionnaire for women of childbearing age. The primary goals of the tool are to: 1) increase a woman's self awareness of major health and social issues 2) improve interpersonal communication between women and their health providers 3) to promote an integrated team response to medical and social issues 4) to facilitate referrals and link women to needed services 5) to document and advocate for needed policy changes. Results: The task force met the challenge of responding to the needs of women, health center administrators and providers, and evaluators in the design of a 9 page scannable questionnaire in English and Spanish. We identified key issues to be addressed: reciprocity in the exchange of information and services, confidentiality, and mistrust of the health care system. Conclusion: Focus groups, collaborative team meetings, and pilot testing are critical to develop a tool useful to women and providers.
Learning Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to: 1. describe the importance of women's preconceptual health--physical, social and emotional--to birth outcomes. 2. understand the steps required to develop a comprehensive assessment tool for women in primary care settings. 3. describe key issues identified by women in focus groups significant to the development of a questionnaire about the medical and social issues pertinent to their health care. 4. appreciate the dimensions of the collaborative process involving women, providers and evaluators inherent in the development of a questionnaire that is meaningful in a primary care setting
Keywords: Primary Care, Women's Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Boston Public Health Commission
Boston Healthy Start Initiative
Boston University School of Public Health
Martha Eliot Health Center
Whittier Street Health Center
Brigham and Women's Hospital
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.