Improving Rates of Early Entry Prenatal Care in an Underserved Population
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Improving Rates of Early Entry Prenatal Care in an Underserved Population Jaimin S. Shah1 · F. Lee Revere2 · Eugene C. Toy1,3
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018
Abstract Introduction Early prenatal care can improve pregnancy outcomes, reduce complications, and ensure a healthier pregnancy. Unfortunately, many pregnant women do not seek early care. This research provides a framework for improving prenatal care in a low income community-based obstetrics clinic. Methods A multi-disciplinary quality improvement initiative was implemented at a large federally qualified health clinic in Houston, Texas to improve the rate of early entry into prenatal care by identifying barriers through patient surveys, focus groups, stakeholder feedback, and improving processes to reduce these barriers. Results A significant increase in early prenatal care was achieved by redesigning operational and clinical processes to improve access to care, expand patient education and outreach, increase resources, extend hours of operation, and increase presumptive insurance eligibility. Three months post implementation, an increase of 44.5% (p
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