Identifying the Barriers to Universal Cervical Length Screening for Preterm Birth Prevention at a Tertiary Hospital in Thailand (Physician Perspectives): Implementation Research
Issued Date
2023-04-01
Resource Type
eISSN
22279032
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85152418299
Journal Title
Healthcare (Switzerland)
Volume
11
Issue
7
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Healthcare (Switzerland) Vol.11 No.7 (2023)
Suggested Citation
Chawanpaiboon S., Titapant V., Anuwutnavin S., Kanjanapongporn A., Pooliam J. Identifying the Barriers to Universal Cervical Length Screening for Preterm Birth Prevention at a Tertiary Hospital in Thailand (Physician Perspectives): Implementation Research. Healthcare (Switzerland) Vol.11 No.7 (2023). doi:10.3390/healthcare11071039 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/81895
Title
Identifying the Barriers to Universal Cervical Length Screening for Preterm Birth Prevention at a Tertiary Hospital in Thailand (Physician Perspectives): Implementation Research
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Objective: To identify physicians’ views on the barriers to measuring cervical length for preventing preterm deliveries. Materials and methods: This prospective, descriptive implementation study had three phases. In Phase I, 20 physicians were interviewed. Phase II comprised questionnaire development and data validation. The questionnaire was distributed to 120 Phase III participants. Results and discussion: All 120 participants responded. In 44 cases, the physicians received support from their local Maternal and Child Health Boards for preterm-birth-prevention programs; the other 76 physicians did not. The doctors tended to believe that cervical length screening plays no role in preventing preterm births (4/44 (9.1%) and 24/76 (31.6%); OR, 4.615; 95% CI, 1.482–14.373; p = 0.005). They were unsure about the correct measurement procedures (13/44 (29.5%) and 37/76 (48.7%); OR, 2.262; 95% CI, 1.028–4.977; p = 0.040). A lack of cost-free drug support (progesterone) for women with short cervices was identified as a barrier to preventing preterm births (30/44 (68.2%) and 32/76 (42.1%); OR, 0.339; 95% CI, 0.155–0.741; p = 0.006). Conclusions: Many physicians are unconvinced that measuring cervical length prevents premature births, and are unsure about the correct measurement procedures. There is a lack of government funding for hormone-usage programs.