Because comprehensive prenatal care must include services that address more than just medical aspects of pregnancy, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that, "addressing the broad range of psychosocial issues with which pregnant women are confronted is an essential step toward improving women's health and birth outcomes." Yet not all ob-gyns screen their pregnant patients for "non-medical" problems. One reason is that private providers may mistakenly believe their patients are not affected by issues such as domestic violence or substance use, despite the fact that such problems know no boundaries. In other instances, ob-gyns may not routinely screen because they lack training or tools; believe it is too time consuming; are uncomfortable raising such issues with patients; or because of a perceived lack of resources to address problems.
Through its MCH-Providers Partnership Project, a cooperative agreement with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, ACOG convened a multidisciplinary meeting to explore barriers to psychosocial screening and referral of pregnant women and to develop strategies to encourage changes in provider practice. This meeting included public and private sector stakeholders including researchers, clinicians, Title V representatives and others.
This session will describe what is known about how psychosocial problems impact pregnancy and the effectiveness of interventions; provider practices regarding psychosocial screening during pregnancy; and techniques and tools for integrating psychosocial screening and referral into perinatal care. The latter will address the role of public/private partnerships. Participants can use this information to develop public/private partnerships around psychosocial screening and referral in their own communities.
Learning Objectives: 1) Describe what is known about the impact of psychosocial problems on pregnancy and the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions. 2) Identify barriers to psychosocial screening and referral. 3) Discuss ways that public/private partnerships can facilitate the integration of psychosocial prenatal screening and referral into medical care.
Keywords: Prenatal Care, Public/Private Partnerships
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
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.