Improving Rates of Early Entry Prenatal Care in an Underserved Population

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Quality Improvement Science

Background:

• Early prenatal care is vital for improved pregnancy outcomes and reduced complications.
• Many women, particularly in low-income communities, face barriers to accessing timely prenatal care.
• Federally qualified health centers play a key role in providing essential maternal health services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a framework for enhancing early prenatal care entry rates.
• To identify and mitigate barriers preventing women from seeking timely prenatal care.
• To evaluate the impact of a quality improvement initiative on early prenatal care utilization.

Main Methods:

• A multi-disciplinary quality improvement initiative was conducted at a federally qualified health clinic.
• Barriers to early care were identified through patient surveys, focus groups, and stakeholder feedback.
• Operational and clinical processes were redesigned to improve access, education, resources, and hours of operation.

Main Results:

• A 44.5% increase in patients receiving prenatal care within the first trimester was observed post-implementation (p < 0.001).
• Redesigned processes included improved access, expanded patient education, increased resources, extended hours, and enhanced insurance eligibility.
• While trends suggested better obstetrical and neonatal outcomes with early care, statistical significance was not reached due to sample size.

Conclusions:

• Quality improvement initiatives can effectively increase early prenatal care rates in community-based settings.
• Addressing systemic and patient-level barriers is essential for improving maternal health access.
• The strategies implemented offer a scalable model for other clinics aiming to enhance prenatal care utilization.