Perspectives of primary care clinicians on teratogenic risk counseling.
BACKGROUND
Women of childbearing age are commonly prescribed medications by primary care providers (PCPs) that may cause birth defects if used during pregnancy.


METHODS
To identify what PCPs perceive as barriers to and potential facilitators of providing counseling to women of childbearing age when teratogenic medications are prescribed, we conducted eight focus groups with 48 PCPs recruited from four clinical settings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We explored PCPs' experiences counseling women about teratogenic medications. Each focus group was audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using a grounded theory approach by three independent coders.


RESULTS
PCPs feel responsible for counseling women when they prescribe medications that may cause birth defects, but note difficulties identifying clinically relevant sources of information on teratogenicity. Other barriers to providing counseling include limited visit times and lack of reimbursement for preconception or teratogenic risk counseling. PCPs find it challenging to identify patients who may become pregnant and who therefore need contraceptive and/or teratogenic risk counseling. PCPs expressed a desire for online resources that could be used when explaining medication risks to patients. PCPs feel that the development of patient information materials, electronic decision support tools, clinical care systems that routinely assess patients' pregnancy risk, and changes in the reimbursement structure may facilitate counseling patients about teratogenic risks.


CONCLUSIONS
PCPs perceive themselves as playing an important role in providing their patients information on risk of medication-induced birth defects. To ensure safe prescription of teratogenic medications, PCPs suggest interventions at both the clinic and healthcare system levels.
Schwarz
Eleanor Bimla
EB
Center for Research on Health Care, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. schwarzeb@upmc.edu
Santucci
Aimee
A
Borrero
Sonya
S
Akers
Aletha Y
AY
Nikolajski
Cara
C
Gold
Melanie A
MA
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003376:Counseling; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology*; D016742:Preconception Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*
D013723:Teratogens