General practitioners' perceived indicators of vulnerability in pregnancy- A qualitative interview study

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Research
• Maternal Health
• Qualitative Health Research

Background:

• Identifying vulnerability in pregnant women is crucial for timely intervention.
• General Practitioners (GPs) play a key role in primary care for expectant mothers.
• Understanding GPs' perceptions of vulnerability indicators is essential for enhancing care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore General Practitioners' (GPs') perceived indicators of vulnerability among pregnant women in primary care.
• To investigate how GPs identify and conceptualize vulnerability during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing semi-structured, in-depth focus group interviews.
• Conducted in urban, semi-urban, and rural general practices in the Region of Southern Denmark.
• Involved twenty General Practitioners (GPs).

Main Results:

• GPs identified both obvious (e.g., somatic/psychological illnesses, social problems) and intangible indicators of vulnerability.
• Intangible vulnerability was often recognized through the GP's intuition or 'gut-feeling'.
• Vulnerability was perceived as an interplay between risk factors and available resources, with a psychosocial framework.

Conclusions:

• GPs perceive a wide range of vulnerability indicators in pregnant women, including subtle, intuition-based ones.
• Awareness of intangible vulnerability and low resilience is present, though not always fitting established concepts.
• Potential for misjudging vulnerability based on appearance underscores the need for further research into GPs' assessment challenges.