How, when, and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care? A qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals’ preferences
Background: Knowing people’s pregnancy intentions would help healthcare professionals (HCPs) to take a more holistic approach to reproductive health and preconception care. Aim: To assess the feasibility of implementation of questions about pregnancy preferences in a range of primary care settings...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Royal College of General Practitioners
2024-12-01
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| Series: | BJGP Open |
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| Online Access: | https://bjgpopen.org/content/8/4/BJGPO.2024.0148 |
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| _version_ | 1846100347915862016 |
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| author | Jennifer Hall Helen Carr Anne Connolly Geraldine Barrett |
| author_facet | Jennifer Hall Helen Carr Anne Connolly Geraldine Barrett |
| author_sort | Jennifer Hall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Knowing people’s pregnancy intentions would help healthcare professionals (HCPs) to take a more holistic approach to reproductive health and preconception care. Aim: To assess the feasibility of implementation of questions about pregnancy preferences in a range of primary care settings in Great Britain, including digital implementation. Design & setting: Qualitative study using online semi-structured interviews with primary healthcare professionals across Great Britain between February and July 2022. Method: Twelve online interviews were conducted with GPs (n = 3), practice nurses (n = 3), sexual and reproductive health professionals (n = 4), and health visitors (n = 2). Framework analysis was conducted in NVivo, adapting a coding frame from complementary interviews with women. Results: HCPs perceived asking about pregnancy preferences as valuable in meeting patients’ reproductive health needs and most suited to women’s health consultations, medication and disease reviews, baby checks, or as an addition to lifestyle questions leading to health promotion advice. An introductory, non-discriminatory signposting sentence was well-liked, and the preferred question in a face-to-face clinical encounter was asking how the person would feel about a pregnancy in the next year, in line with women’s preference. Guidance and training would give clinicians confidence in knowing how to ask about pregnancy preferences and advise their patients accordingly. Conclusion: Asking about pregnancy intentions is acceptable to women and HCPs and feasible in primary care, but implementation needs to be adapted to the patient and context. Digital options that enable patients to self-manage can reduce the need for HCP input and avoid medicalising a normal process. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b1f502e0b534448e980e1666e396c81f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2398-3795 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Royal College of General Practitioners |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJGP Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-b1f502e0b534448e980e1666e396c81f2024-12-30T10:06:20ZengRoyal College of General PractitionersBJGP Open2398-37952024-12-018410.3399/BJGPO.2024.0148How, when, and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care? A qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals’ preferencesJennifer Hall0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2084-9568Helen Carr1Anne Connolly2Geraldine Barrett3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9738-1051Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Team, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, London, UKNHS Surrey Heartlands, Surrey, UKBevan Healthcare, Bradford, UKSexual and Reproductive Health Research Team, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, London, UKBackground: Knowing people’s pregnancy intentions would help healthcare professionals (HCPs) to take a more holistic approach to reproductive health and preconception care. Aim: To assess the feasibility of implementation of questions about pregnancy preferences in a range of primary care settings in Great Britain, including digital implementation. Design & setting: Qualitative study using online semi-structured interviews with primary healthcare professionals across Great Britain between February and July 2022. Method: Twelve online interviews were conducted with GPs (n = 3), practice nurses (n = 3), sexual and reproductive health professionals (n = 4), and health visitors (n = 2). Framework analysis was conducted in NVivo, adapting a coding frame from complementary interviews with women. Results: HCPs perceived asking about pregnancy preferences as valuable in meeting patients’ reproductive health needs and most suited to women’s health consultations, medication and disease reviews, baby checks, or as an addition to lifestyle questions leading to health promotion advice. An introductory, non-discriminatory signposting sentence was well-liked, and the preferred question in a face-to-face clinical encounter was asking how the person would feel about a pregnancy in the next year, in line with women’s preference. Guidance and training would give clinicians confidence in knowing how to ask about pregnancy preferences and advise their patients accordingly. Conclusion: Asking about pregnancy intentions is acceptable to women and HCPs and feasible in primary care, but implementation needs to be adapted to the patient and context. Digital options that enable patients to self-manage can reduce the need for HCP input and avoid medicalising a normal process.https://bjgpopen.org/content/8/4/BJGPO.2024.0148pregnancy intention screeningpreconception health and carecontraceptionpregnancyreproductive careprimary health care |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer Hall Helen Carr Anne Connolly Geraldine Barrett How, when, and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care? A qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals’ preferences BJGP Open pregnancy intention screening preconception health and care contraception pregnancy reproductive care primary health care |
| title | How, when, and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care? A qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals’ preferences |
| title_full | How, when, and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care? A qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals’ preferences |
| title_fullStr | How, when, and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care? A qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals’ preferences |
| title_full_unstemmed | How, when, and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care? A qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals’ preferences |
| title_short | How, when, and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care? A qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals’ preferences |
| title_sort | how when and who should ask about pregnancy intentions in primary care a qualitative study of primary healthcare professionals preferences |
| topic | pregnancy intention screening preconception health and care contraception pregnancy reproductive care primary health care |
| url | https://bjgpopen.org/content/8/4/BJGPO.2024.0148 |
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