Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
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Womens Health Issues · May 2019
Understanding Women Veterans' Family Planning Counseling Experiences and Preferences to Inform Patient-Centered Care.
Women veterans' unique experiences in the military and burden of health comorbidities increase their risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and may influence their counseling needs related to planning or preventing pregnancy. We investigated women veterans' experiences of family planning counseling in the military and Veterans Affairs (VA) health care systems as well as their counseling preferences. ⋯ Women veterans reported a spectrum of negative and positive experiences in family planning encounters in the military and VA that, in conjunction with their preferences, provide key insights for patient-centered reproductive health care in VA.
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Womens Health Issues · Mar 2019
Development of Quality Indicators for the Care of Women with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding by Primary Care Providers in the Veterans Health Administration.
Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common women's health complaint. However, the quality of primary care (PC) management of AUB is unknown. Our objective was to develop quality indicators for Veterans Health Administration (VA) PC assessment and management of AUB. ⋯ We developed quality indicators for PC assessment and management of AUB that span reproductive and postmenopausal life phases. Applying these indicators in VA and other health systems with integrated electronic health records can assess need for, and effects of, AUB quality improvement programs.
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Womens Health Issues · Jan 2019
Local Leaders' Perspectives on Women Veterans' Health Care: What Would Ideal Look Like?
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) faces challenges in providing comprehensive, gender-sensitive care for women. National policies have led to important advancements, but local leadership also plays a vital role in implementing changes and operationalizing national priorities. In this article, we explore the notions of ideal women veterans' health care articulated by women's health leaders at local VHA facilities and regional networks, with the goal of identifying elements that could inform practice and policy. ⋯ Policy and practice changes to care for women veterans must be mindful of key stakeholders' vision for that care. Specific features of that vision include clinic construction that anticipates a growing patient population, providing childcare and expanded reproductive health services, ensuring adequate support staff, expanding mechanisms to incorporate women veterans' input, and fostering a culture oriented towards women's health at the organizational level.
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Womens Health Issues · Nov 2018
Experiences of Racism and Preterm Birth: Findings from a Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2004 through 2012.
Racial disparities in birth outcomes represent a significant public health concern in the United States. Factors associated with racism have been posited as a mechanism underlying these disparities. Yet, findings from previous studies are mixed and based on small, geographically limited samples. This study aims to examine the relationship between experiences of racism and preterm birth in a population-based sample and to explore the role of adequacy of prenatal care within that relationship. ⋯ Findings suggest that, for non-Hispanic Black women, the emotional effect of experiences of racism may contribute to the risk of preterm birth. Future studies should consider the role of adequate prenatal care in this relationship. Racism is an important public health problem with a measurable impact on preterm birth and should be addressed to eliminate racial inequities in birth outcomes.