Prenatal Care Education in an Urban, Underserved Population

Background and Purpose: Across the United States, there are low adherence rates of prenatal care visits, primarily among the low-income and ethnic populations. Inadequate prenatal care education contributes to low appointment adherence and missed prenatal care during their first trimester. The project aim is to assess the current use of paper-based prenatal education in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in southwestern Arizona and inquire if patients would elect to engage in a phone application for prenatal education with appointment reminders. Approach/Methods: The Theory of Planned Behavior was the theoretical framework utilized to guide this project. The Quality Improvement (QI) project gathered information regarding patient technology use and accessibility as well as utilization of FQHC prenatal booklet, collected with a 13-question survey. A non-identifying demographic questionnaire was also distributed during the prenatal visit. Results: Survey responses indicated that patients find utility in prenatal education and appointment reminders provided through a phone application. Out of the total participants (n=23), only 18 had received the prenatal care booklet and completed the entire survey. 80% of participants expressed they would use the phone application while 84% find prenatal education on the phone helpful. In comparison, less than 28% of respondents planned to continue to use the prenatal booklet they were provided at the clinic during their pregnancy. Outcomes: There is potential in utilizing digital platform and appointment reminders at FQHC to improve appointment adherence and early entry to prenatal care. The results will be used to inform FQHC on decisions regarding continuing prenatal booklet use and integration of techbased education formatting.