Impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care: Perceptions of family physicians in the United States.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
BACKGROUND: Patient-centered care is the best practice in the care of pregnant and postpartum patients. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted changes in perinatal care policies, which were often reactive, resulting in unintended consequences, many of which made the delivery of patient-centered care more difficult. This study aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal health care delivery from the perspective of family physicians in the United States. METHODS: From October 5 to November 4, 2020, we surveyed mid- to late-career family physicians who provide perinatal care. We conducted descriptive analyses to measure the impact of COVID-19 on prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum care, patient experience, and patient volume. An immersion-crystallization approach was used to analyze qualitative data provided as open-text comments. RESULTS: Of the 1518 survey respondents, 1062 (69.8%) stated that they currently attend births; 595 of those elaborated about the impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care in free-text comments. Eight themes emerged related to the impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care: visitation, patient decisions, testing, personal protective equipment, care continuity, changes in care delivery, reassignment, and volume. The greatest perceived impact of COVID-19 was on patient experience. CONCLUSIONS: Family physicians who provided perinatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic noted a considerable impact on patient experience, which particularly affected the ability to deliver patient-centered and family-centered care. Continued research is needed to understand the long-term impact of policies affecting the delivery of patient-centered perinatal care and to inform more evidence-based, proactive policies to be implemented in future pandemic or disaster situations.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Goldstein, JT; Eden, AR; Taylor, MK; Dotson, A; Barreto, T
Published Date
- December 2022
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 49 / 4
Start / End Page
- 719 - 727
PubMed ID
- 35396870
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC9111605
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1523-536X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1111/birt.12637
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States