South Carolina Collaborative Increases Prenatal Care for Women
Summary
The Florence County Collaborative evaluated early entry into prenatal care for women in Florence County and found that 73% of women who gave birth in 2009 accessed prenatal care in the first trimester. The Healthy People 2010 goal is 90%. The Health Department has an opportunity to influence women to gain access to early prenatal care when the women receive pregnancy tests and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) services.
The Aim Statement:
1) Increase the percentage of clients presenting to Family Planning clinics with a positive pregnancy test who make and keep their WIC appointment by 10% at the end of the collaborative.
2) Increase the percentage of prenatal WIC clients who have access to prenatal care by 10% by the end of the collaborative.
Quality improvement (QI) trials helped to identify barriers within the system that prevented timely appointments for women for both pregnancy tests and WIC appointments. In addition, data also identified the need for improved assistance to patients in making appointments to WIC at the time of a positive pregnancy test. We included improved information for staff to share with patients regarding the documents needed for WIC certifications, Get Early Maternity Services (GEMS), and a packet with important prenatal information.
Outcomes were measured by the following:
• Percentage of clients who scheduled their own WIC appointment
• Percentage of clients who did not schedule their own appointment
• Percentage of clients who scheduled and kept their own appointment
• Percentage of clients with WIC appointment made by Family Planning
• Percentage of clients with WIC appointment made by Family Planning and kept
• Average number of days after positive pregnancy test that client gets WIC appointment
Results:
1) At the beginning of the cycle, only 47% of clients with a positive pregnancy test scheduled their own appointment. At the end of the collaborative, an average of 94% of patients with a positive pregnancy test made a WIC appointment.
2) At the beginning of the cycle, only 40% of the clients with a positive pregnancy test were seen and certified in WIC. At the end of the collaborative, 76% of the clients kept their WIC appointments.
George-Washington, RN, BSN, PHCM, C. Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange. South Carolina Collaborative Increases Prenatal Care for Women. Fri, 11/17/2017 - 11:33. Available at http://phqix.org/content/south-carolina-collaborative-increases-prenatal-care-women. Accessed April 19, 2024.
