General practitioners in public obstetrics--an underutilized resource

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Primary Care Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Shared antenatal care is common in South Brisbane.
• Mothers and healthcare providers have specific preferences regarding antenatal and delivery care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the perspectives of mothers, general practitioners (GPs), hospital doctors, and midwives on shared antenatal care in South Brisbane.
• To explore preferences for the roles of GPs and midwives in public hospital obstetrics.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 229 general practitioners (GPs), 288 women who recently delivered in public hospitals, 26 public hospital doctors, and 33 midwives in South Brisbane.
• Data collected included views on shared antenatal care, delivery preferences, and desired roles in public obstetrics.

Main Results:

• 84% of mothers utilized shared antenatal care, with 88% of GPs recently providing it.
• Mothers valued continuity, sufficient time with clinicians, and minimal waiting/travel times.
• Mothers preferred GP-led antenatal care and hospital midwife-led delivery.
• GPs expressed interest in expanding obstetric services, including intrapartum care and continuing education.
• Hospital doctors and midwives supported patient choice and increased GP/midwife roles but were unenthusiastic about home births.

Conclusions:

• There is substantial support for enhancing the role of general practitioners (GPs) in public hospital obstetrics.
• Maternal and provider preferences indicate a potential for optimizing shared antenatal care models.
• Future models should consider patient choice and the expanded roles of GPs and midwives within public maternity services.