COMING SOON: One Appointment, Multiple Healthier Outcomes- Study results from the IMPLICIT ICC model of Screening Mothers at Well Child Visits

The Institute for Family Health health centers are a part of the IMPLICIT Network- an FMEC Collaborative, a family medicine maternal child health learning collaborative dedicated to improving birth outcomes. The IMPLICIT Network developed an innovative model of impacting maternal health for future pregnancies by screening mothers at well-child visits for smoking, depression, family planning, and multivitamin with folic acid (IMPLICIT ICC).

Preliminary findings from implementation of IMPLICIT ICC model will be published on March 1, 2018, in the original research section of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, a peer-reviewed family medicine journal. Interconception care (ICC), care to improve maternal health in-between pregnancies, is an emerging health topic that addresses the issues of preterm and low birth weight births. Given that approximately half of the pregnancies in the United States are unintended, and by the time women enter prenatal care it is often too late to influence birth outcomes, modifiable risk factors need to be addressed prior to pregnancy. However, many women do not seek health care for themselves during the preconception period.

The IMPLICIT (Interventions to Minimize Preterm and Low birth weight Infants through Continuous Improvement Techniques) Network developed the IMPLICIT ICC model to screen and provide interventions on four evidence-based risk factors to impact birth outcomes. Through the IMPLICIT Model, providers discuss smoking, depression, family planning, and multivitamin with folic acid use with mothers during their baby’s well-child visits 0-24 months. The Network’s article, “Delivering Interconception Care during Well Child Visits: An IMPLICIT Network Study” outlines the feasibility and initial outcomes from 11 primary care sites. Authors conclude that mothers attend the majority of WCVs indicating that the baby’s visit is a consistent point of contact to reach women. Additionally, mothers screen positive for one or more ICC risk factor at more than half of visits providing many opportunities to address behavioral risks for future poor birth outcomes. To learn more about the IMPLICIT Network and IMPLICIT ICC model, visit: www.fmec.net/implicit