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Impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care: Perceptions of family physicians in the United States.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Goldstein, JT; Eden, AR; Taylor, MK; Dotson, A; Barreto, T
Published in: Birth
December 2022

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.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Birth

DOI

EISSN

1523-536X

Publication Date

December 2022

Volume

49

Issue

4

Start / End Page

719 / 727

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Pregnancy
  • Physicians, Family
  • Perinatal Care
  • Patient-Centered Care
  • Pandemics
  • Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Humans
  • Female
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
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Goldstein, J. T., Eden, A. R., Taylor, M. K., Dotson, A., & Barreto, T. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care: Perceptions of family physicians in the United States. Birth, 49(4), 719–727. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12637
Goldstein, Jessica Taylor, Aimee R. Eden, Melina K. Taylor, Andrea Dotson, and Tyler Barreto. “Impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care: Perceptions of family physicians in the United States.Birth 49, no. 4 (December 2022): 719–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12637.
Goldstein JT, Eden AR, Taylor MK, Dotson A, Barreto T. Impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care: Perceptions of family physicians in the United States. Birth. 2022 Dec;49(4):719–27.
Goldstein, Jessica Taylor, et al. “Impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care: Perceptions of family physicians in the United States.Birth, vol. 49, no. 4, Dec. 2022, pp. 719–27. Pubmed, doi:10.1111/birt.12637.
Goldstein JT, Eden AR, Taylor MK, Dotson A, Barreto T. Impact of COVID-19 on perinatal care: Perceptions of family physicians in the United States. Birth. 2022 Dec;49(4):719–727.
Journal cover image

Published In

Birth

DOI

EISSN

1523-536X

Publication Date

December 2022

Volume

49

Issue

4

Start / End Page

719 / 727

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Pregnancy
  • Physicians, Family
  • Perinatal Care
  • Patient-Centered Care
  • Pandemics
  • Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Humans
  • Female