Health Disparities
Counseling Women of Reproductive Age about Emergency Preparedness, Changes in Provider Attitudes – Fall DocStyles Survey, United States, 2021-2023 Jerome Leonard* Jerome Leonard Romeo R. Galang Rebecca Hall Carrie Shapiro-Mendoza Jessica R. Meeker
Natural disasters and severe weather emergencies are increasing in frequency and severity. Women of reproductive age – including pregnant, postpartum, and lactating populations – face unique challenges during disasters that may be mitigated by emergency preparedness. A survey of healthcare provider attitudes and practices related to counseling women of reproductive age on emergency preparedness was administered in 2021 and 2023. Our analysis assesses changes in reported provider attitudes and practices comparing 2021 to 2023. Data were collected through Porter Novelli DocStyles, a web-based opt-in panel survey of healthcare providers in the United States. We calculated frequencies and confidence intervals (CI) of provider responses using R 4.3.0, and differences were assessed based on CI review. There were 1,503 respondents in the 2023 sample, including family practitioners (35%), internists (31%), obstetrician/gynecologists (Ob/Gyns) (17%), physician assistants (8%), and nurse practitioners (8%). Compared to the 2021 sample (n=1,503), a higher percentage of providers in the 2023 sample report emergency preparedness plans as very important from 51% (95% CI: 48%, 53%) to 56% (95% CI: 53%, 58%), counseling patients on emergency preparedness as very important from 31% (95% CI: 29%, 33%) to 42% (95% CI: 40%, 45%) and having counseled patients on emergency preparedness plans from 30% (95% CI: 27%, 32%) to 37% (95% CI: (34%, 39%). Compared to the 2021 sample, 2023 providers overall reported feeling similar levels of confidence in counseling patients on emergency preparedness plans from 53% (95% CI: 51%, 56%) to 51% (95% CI: 49%, 54%). However, Ob/Gyns reported a decrease in confidence from 70% in 2021 (95% CI: 64%, 75%) to 52% in 2023 (95% CI: 46%, 59%). These findings underscore the need for healthcare provider resources to support emergency preparedness counseling for this population.