Objective: This is a prospective observational cohort study with the objective of assessing adherence to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines regarding the first prenatal visit and determining what patient and provider factors are associated with high adherence in a faculty obstetric clinic at an academic medical center.
Methods: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines recommend addressing 72 topics early in prenatal care. A research assistant observed the first prenatal encounter and noted which topics were discussed during the visit. Patient and clinic characteristics were also collected. The primary outcome was the percentage of topics covered at each visit. After analyzing all encounters, patient encounters that scored above the median score were compared with encounters scoring below the median using bivariate comparisons with respect to patient and clinic characteristics. A multivariable Poisson regression model with robust error variance was performed on characteristics with a p value of ⩽0.2.
Results: Fifty-one patient encounters met inclusion criteria and the median score for topics covered was 74%. Patients with chronic disease were more likely to have a higher percentage of topics covered (odds ratio 1.67, 95% confidence interval: 0.91-3.09). Patients who completed a prenatal questionnaire were also more likely to have a higher percentage (odds ratio 2.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.00-5.15) as well as patients who had nurse-led education integrated into their visit during (odds ratio 1.82, 95% confidence interval: 1.19-2.78). Patient satisfaction had no correlation with the number of topics covered.
Conclusion: The number of topics to cover at the first prenatal visit has expanded creating challenges for patients and providers. Integration of prenatal questionnaires and nurse-led education has the potential to address gaps in antenatal care.
Keywords: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines; genetic counseling; pregnancy counseling; prenatal care.