Understanding physicians' care practices for young mothers in Kansas

Abstract

As health care consumers, adolescent and young mothers have distinct needs when it comes to transitioning between health care settings (i.e., pediatric care, obstetric care). Young mothers may be at risk for having unmet learning and health needs, having difficulty understanding pertinent health information and navigating the health care system. Little is known about how physicians address women's learning needs. Findings indicate that the majority of physicians who provided primary care were family physicians (69%); less than half (47%) indicated that they provided care to the mother during her preconception period. Moreover, physicians reported discussing mostly 'standard' topics with clients and revealed a number of challenges to providing care to this population.