A Pilot of Prenatal Transitional Care Services in the Urgent Care Setting

Established prenatal care leads to better outcomes and reduced healthcare expenditures. Inadequate prenatal care is associated with numerous risks. Many women face a variety of barriers that contribute to inadequate prenatal care. The purpose of this project was to create and pilot a new transitional care protocol to improve the referral rate of pregnant patients to establish prenatal care at a midwestern physician services (MPS) women’s health care clinic after a MPS express care visit. An extensive literature review was conducted, and a streamlined referral process linking pregnant patients to obstetric care was created to address identified barriers. The referral process was evaluated by a focus group consisting of the stakeholders. Results showed nine referrals sent resulting in two patients who established prenatal care with the MPS women’s health care. The focus group of stakeholders were happy with the new process and it will be continued as a new referral protocol at all MPS express care locations. Limitations found include the three following themes: staff shortage, inconsistency in the process, and non-applicable referrals. This project was used as a pilot to create a streamlined internal referral process that MPS can easily use to for other specialties across the system