Assessment of Patient Satisfaction for women in CenteringPregnancy Prenatal Care compared to individual Prenatal care in Military Treatment Facilities

Within the past few years, Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) have been implementing an enhanced prenatal care model called CenteringPregnancy© to help improve birth outcomes and the maternity care experience. This model was designed to empower pregnant women by providing care within a group setting, and encourage interaction and learning among women of similar gestational age.

The purpose of this analysis was to examine satisfaction of women who completed CenteringPregnancy compared to women who completed individual prenatal care within the same MTF.

Satisfaction ratings from October 2011 through September 2013 from maternity care patients were compiled from the TRICARE Outpatient Satisfaction Survey (TROSS), which assesses ambulatory care experiences of military health system beneficiaries. These data were merged with administrative data to define CenteringPregnancy patients using a group prenatal care CPT code.

Findings suggested that satisfaction ratings on Access to Care and a Provider Communication composite were not statistically significantly different between the groups. However, one individual question in the Provider Communication Composite, Provider Spent Enough Time showed higher satisfaction ratings for the CenteringPregnancy group (p=0.04). Satisfaction ratings for the Office Staff composite produced statistically higher results for women who completed CenteringPregnancy (P=0.03). This was driven by the individual question, Office Staff Treated Patient with Courtesy and Respect, (P=0.01).

Enhanced prenatal care models such as CenteringPregnancy may have some implications for improving the experience of care for women in military treatment facilities. Program evaluation will be important as the military health system continues to implement such programs.