Faculty Opinions recommendation of Update: Interim Guidance for Health Care Providers Caring for Women of Reproductive Age with Possible Zika Virus Exposure--United States, 2016.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess physician assistant students’ knowledge about the screening, transmission, management, and prevention of Zika virus infection. Background: It is important for health care providers in the United States to recognize the symptoms of Zika so that they can screen, diagnose, and or treat persons exposed to or infected by the virus. Physician assistant students, on completion of their educational program and passing their board examinations, provide care for patients in primary care or specialty settings where they may treat patients who either have the virus or post-virus exposure. Methods: A convenience sample of 37 students enrolled in a physician assistant studies program in the Midwestern United States completed an in-person self-administered paper-and-pencil questionnaire that tested their knowledge about Zika virus infection. Results: All the respondents knew that the disease is of viral origin; however, only 89% knew that mosquitoes were the natural host. Primary modes of transmission were identified as sexual contact and blood transfusion (47% and 44% of respondents respectively); 47% incorrectly identified amniotic fluid as a transmission mode. More than half (61%) knew that health care providers should ask pregnant women about any possible virus exposure before and during pregnancy at each prenatal visit. Most respondents knew that muscle/joint pain (67%) was one of the symptoms of Zika infection, but only 39%, 25%, and 19% also identified low-grade fever, maculopapular rash, and conjunctivitis respectively as other symptoms. Some participants incorrectly identified antivirals (44%) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (36%) rather than the recommended treatments of pain relief (30%) and fever relief (42%) medications for clinical management of the disease.

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Update: Interim Guidance for Health Care Providers Caring for Pregnant Women with Possible Zika Virus Exposure — United States (Including U.S. Territories), July 2017

MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report ◽

10.15585/mmwr.mm6629e1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 66 (29) ◽

pp. 781-793 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

Titilope Oduyebo ◽

Kara D. Polen ◽

Henry T. Walke ◽

Sarah Reagan-Steiner ◽

Eva Lathrop ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Health Care ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Care Providers ◽

Virus Exposure

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Update: Interim Guidance for Health Care Providers Caring for Pregnant Women with Possible Zika Virus Exposure — United States, July 2016

MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report ◽

10.15585/mmwr.mm6529e1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 65 (29) ◽

pp. 739-744 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

Titilope Oduyebo ◽

Irogue Igbinosa ◽

Emily E. Petersen ◽

Kara N.D. Polen ◽

Satish K. Pillai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Health Care ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Care Providers ◽

Virus Exposure

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Determinants of rural-urban differences in health care provider visits among women of reproductive age in the United States

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0240700 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. e0240700

Author(s):

Hyunjung Lee ◽

Ashley H. Hirai ◽

Ching-Ching Claire Lin ◽

John E. Snyder

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Women’S Health ◽

Women's Health ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Rural Women ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

County Level ◽

Care Providers ◽

Provider Type ◽

Women Of Reproductive Age

Background Rural health disparities and access gaps may contribute to higher maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Understanding and addressing access barriers for specialty women’s health services is important in mitigating risks for adverse childbirth events. The objective of this study was to investigate rural-urban differences in health care access for women of reproductive age by examining differences in past-year provider visit rates by provider type, and quantifying the contributing factors to these findings. Methods and findings Using a nationally-representative sample of reproductive age women (n = 37,026) from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2010–2015) linked to the Area Health Resource File, rural-urban differences in past-year office visit rates with health care providers were examined. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis quantified the portion of disparities explained by individual- and county-level sociodemographic and provider supply characteristics. Overall, there were no rural-urban differences in past-year visits with women’s health providers collectively (65.0% vs 62.4%), however differences were observed by provider type. Rural women had lower past-year obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) visit rates than urban women (23.3% vs. 26.6%), and higher visit rates with family medicine physicians (24.3% vs. 20.9%) and nurse practitioners/physician assistants (NPs/PAs) (24.6% vs. 16.1%). Lower OB-GYN availability in rural versus urban counties (6.1 vs. 13.7 providers/100,000 population) explained most of the rural disadvantage in OB-GYN visit rates (83.8%), and much of the higher family physician (80.9%) and NP/PA (50.1%) visit rates. Other individual- and county-level characteristics had smaller effects on rural-urban differences. Conclusion Although there were no overall rural-urban differences in past-year visit rates, the lower OB-GYN availability in rural areas appears to affect the types of health care providers seen by women. Whether rural women are receiving adequate specialized women’s health care services, while seeing a different cadre of providers, warrants further investigation and has particular relevance for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies and deliveries.

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