# Changes in healthcare providers attitudes and practices about counseling pregnant and postpartum women about emergency preparedness –DocStyles survey, United States, spring 2021 and fall 2023

## TL;DR

This study found that healthcare providers in the U.S. increasingly see emergency preparedness counseling for pregnant and postpartum women as important, but many lack confidence in providing this guidance.

## Contribution

The study reveals a growing recognition of emergency preparedness counseling's importance but highlights a significant confidence gap, especially among OB/GYNs.

## Key findings

- More providers in 2023 viewed emergency preparedness counseling as 'Very Important' compared to 2021.
- OB/GYNs reported a notable decrease in confidence for counseling on emergency preparedness.
- Over half of all providers still feel unconfident in this area.

## Abstract

We compared healthcare provider attitudes and practices related to counseling pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women (PPLW) about emergency preparedness in 2021 and 2023.

A web-based survey of United States healthcare providers was administered in 2021 (N = 1503) and 2023 (N = 1503) by Porter Novelli DocStyles. We compared frequencies and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of provider attitudes and practices, and unadjusted prevalence ratios for questions with binary responses.

Compared to the 2021 sample, higher proportions of providers in the 2023 sample reported counseling patients on emergency preparedness as “Very Important” (31.0 % to 42.1 %) [95 % CIs: (28.7, 33.3); (39.6, 44.6)]; and reported to have counseled patients on emergency preparedness plans (29.8 % to 36.6 %) [95 % CIs: (27.5, 32.1); (34.2, 39.0)]. Providers reported similar levels of overall confidence counseling patients on emergency preparedness plans from 2021 to 2023 (53.2 % to 51.0 %) [(95 % CIs: (50.7, 55.7); (48.5, 53.6)]. However, OB/GYNs reported a significantly decreased level of overall confidence in such counseling (69.6 % to 52.4 %) [95 % CIs: (63.9, 75.3); (46.2, 58.5].

These findings show healthcare providers increasingly recognize emergency preparedness counseling for PPLW as very important but there remains a need to build provider confidence in counseling PPLW on emergency preparedness.

•Providers increasingly report emergency preparedness counseling as very important.•A majority of providers have never counseled women on emergency preparedness.•Only 51 % of providers report feeling confident counseling on emergency preparedness.•Obstetrician/gynecologists reported a 17.2 percentage point decrease in confidence.•Obstetrician/gynecologists were the only specialty to report decreased confidence.

Providers increasingly report emergency preparedness counseling as very important.

A majority of providers have never counseled women on emergency preparedness.

Only 51 % of providers report feeling confident counseling on emergency preparedness.

Obstetrician/gynecologists reported a 17.2 percentage point decrease in confidence.

Obstetrician/gynecologists were the only specialty to report decreased confidence.