Implementation of substance use screening in prenatal clinics

To reduce women's consumption of alcohol and other drugs during pregnancy, the Department of Epidemiology for the Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service (AAIHS) promoted a maternal substance use screening program for prenatal clinics in 1992. This report describes the adherence to the screening protocol at AAIHS facilities and barriers to such screening.

Prenatal clinic staff members at 20 AAIHS health care facilities were surveyed to determine the extent of prenatal substance use screening and the barriers to its implementation. The medical records of a random sample of 235 women who sought prenatal care at five hospitals were reviewed to determine whether prenatal clinic staff adhered to the screening protocol.

Of the 20 health care facilities, 13 (65%) had implemented the screening. The major barriers to implementing screening were lack of training in prenatal substance use screening and lack of clinic staff designated to administer the screening protocol. Though not statistically significant, our data suggest that women not administered the screening questionnaire were more likely to be multiparous (prevalence ratio = 2.1; 95% confidence interval = 0.9, 4.5).

To improve screening of pregnant women for substance use, prenatal clinic staff members should address administrative barriers and assess adherence of health care providers and patients to the screening protocol. Training of prenatal clinic personnel is essential to implement optimal maternal substance use screening in prenatal clinics.