Utilizing a Stakeholder Driven Approach in Developing a Regional Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Health
• Healthcare Access
• Mental Health Services

Background:

• Developing regional perinatal programs is crucial for improving maternal and infant outcomes.
• Stakeholder input is essential for designing effective and accessible healthcare services.
• Addressing mental health needs in perinatal populations requires specialized programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess stakeholder interest and perceived benefits of a regional perinatal access program.
• To understand stakeholder comfort levels with various perinatal mental health topics.
• To evaluate initial satisfaction with a newly implemented perinatal access program.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to regional stakeholders to gauge program interest and needs.
• Stakeholders indicated their willingness to utilize and benefit from a perinatal access program.
• Post-implementation, satisfaction surveys were collected following consultations with a perinatal psychiatrist.

Main Results:

• 92% of stakeholders believed their perinatal patients would benefit from the program.
• 90% of stakeholders expressed intent to use the program if available.
• Stakeholders reported higher comfort with common perinatal mental health issues (anxiety, depression) than complex psychiatric topics.
• Initial program consultations received a universal 5/5 star satisfaction rating.

Conclusions:

• Stakeholder feedback strongly supports the development and implementation of regional perinatal access programs.
• The program effectively addresses identified stakeholder needs, particularly in managing common perinatal mental health conditions.
• High satisfaction rates indicate the program's potential to meet critical gaps in perinatal mental healthcare access.