Are there differences in information given to private and public prenatal patients?
OBJECTIVES: In 1989 the United States Public Health Service Expert Panel on the Content of Prenatal Care reported that health education should become a more integral part of prenatal care. Key questions about providing this education have not been examined. Our study compared the type of information provided to women who sought prenatal care in a public clinic and to those who were seen in a private practice and the degree to which the patients were satisfied with the information they received. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred fifty-nine pregnant women (80 seen in a public clinic, 79 seen in a private practice) completed two questionnaires about 38 topics commonly cited as important during pregnancy. At the first prenatal visit, the women reported their level of interest in each of the topics. At 36 to 40 weeks’ gestation the women completed a second questionnaire to assess whether information was provided for each topic and whether they had learned as much as desired. RESULTS: Overall, the w
