Interprofessional Care Models for Pregnant and Early-Parenting Persons Who Use Substances: A Scoping Review

Use of substances during pregnancy is a global health concern. Interprofessional care teams can provide an optimal care approach to engage individuals who use substances during the perinatal period. The purpose of this scoping review is to provide a comprehensive summation of published literature reporting on interprofessional care models for perinatal individuals who use substances.

We conducted a systematic search for articles from health-related databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was followed. Data were extracted and synthesized to identify the interprofessional care team roles, program and/or provider characteristics, and care outcomes of these models.

We screened 645 publications for full text eligibility. Eleven articles met full inclusion criteria and were summarized. Programs were built on co-location of services, partnership with other agencies, available group/peer support and approaches inclusive of cultural care, trauma informed care, and harm reduction principles.

There is growing evidence supporting integrated care models that are inclusive of relational care providers from multiple health care professions to achieve wraparound care.

Many of the interprofessional care models studied have successfully blended social, primary, pregnancy, and addictions care. The success and sustainability of programs varies, and more work is needed to evaluate program and patient outcomes.