Routine Prenatal Care Visits by Provider Specialty in the United States, 2009–2010

Previous studies have focused on practice patterns of obstetricians/gynecologists or overall ambulatory care utilization by women (2–5).  However, the amount of routine prenatal care delivered by obstetrics and gynecology (ob/gyn) providers and non-ob/gyn providers has not been quantified.  Understanding which providers deliver prenatal care may yield valuable information about training and workforce needs.  A new NCHS report quantifies the amount of routine prenatal care delivered by non-ob/gyn providers among women aged 15–54 who were seen in physicians’ offices, community health centers, and hospital outpatient departments.

Key Findings from the Report:

•At 14.1% of routine prenatal care visits in the United States in 2009–2010, women saw providers whose specialty was not obstetrics and gynecology (ob/gyn).
•The percentage of routine prenatal care visits that were made to non-ob/gyn providers was highest (20.5%) among women aged 15–19.
•Visits to non-ob/gyn providers accounted for a higher percentage of routine prenatal care visits among women with Medicaid (24.3%) and women with no insurance (23.1%) compared with women with private insurance (7.3%).
•The percentage of routine prenatal care visits to non-ob/gyn providers was lower among women in large suburban areas (5.1%) compared with those in urban areas (14.4%) or in small towns or suburbs (22.4%).