Building Healthy Babies: A Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment for a Pre-Conception Program in Ontario

Area of Science:

• Public health
• Maternal health
• Health education

Background:

• Pre-conception care is crucial for improving maternal and infant outcomes.
• Limited data exists on stakeholder preferences for pre-conception program design in Ontario.
• Understanding patient and clinician perspectives is vital for developing effective health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather Ontario clinicians' and public members' views on designing a pre-conception patient education program.
• To identify preferred program formats and essential content areas.
• To inform the development of a standardized, accessible pre-conception program.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods study utilizing online surveys and semi-structured videoconference focus groups.
• Quantitative analysis of survey data using descriptive and summary statistics.
• Qualitative thematic analysis of focus group transcripts using the constant comparative method.

Main Results:

• 168 public members and 43 clinicians completed surveys; 11 of each participated in focus groups.
• Both groups deemed a pre-conception program important.
• Surveys favored individual primary care appointments, while focus groups preferred virtual interactive formats.
• Essential topics included pre-conception health, prenatal/postpartum care, and pregnancy medical optimization.
• Emphasis was placed on accommodations for marginalized populations, diverse cultures, and languages.

Conclusions:

• A standardized pre-conception patient education program is highly valued by Ontario stakeholders.
• Such programs hold the potential to enhance obstetrical outcomes.
• Implementation may contribute to reducing major congenital anomaly rates in Ontario.