Physicians' experiences screening for and addressing patients' social needs in prenatal healthcare

Addressing social needs that arise from adverse social determinants of health during the prenatal period is a growing priority to help mitigate disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. The goal of this study was to explore physicians' experiences screening for and addressing patients' social needs as they seek to provide patient-centered prenatal care.

This was a qualitative descriptive study involving interviews with physicians who provide care to obstetric patients at an academic medical center's obstetrics and gynecology clinic that serves a racially diverse population primarily covered by Medicaid. Using a semi-structured interview guide, we asked physicians about their experiences screening for, documenting, and addressing social needs. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes representative of physicians' perspectives.

We interviewed 13 physicians and identified three themes representative of their experiences screening for and addressing social needs during prenatal care: (1) uncertainty about roles and responsibilities, (2) inconsistent documentation of screening and referrals, and (3) limitations of clinical appointments.

Our findings highlight the need to assess existing priorities, infrastructure, and resources to optimize interventions that involve physicians to promote screening for and addressing social needs during prenatal care.