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Learning Objectives for this Presentation:
By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to describe the hepatitis B testing practices of obstetric providers in Colorado.
Background:
Hepatitis B testing in early pregnancy is a standard of prenatal care. In September 2004, The Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Unit surveyed licensed obstetricians throughout Colorado to better understand hepatitis testing and test reporting practices.
Methods:
A one-page survey was faxed to 440 obstetricians. Each physician received one reminder fax. Surveys were returned by fax and entered into a database.
Results:
The total number of responses returned was 143 (33% response). Of those 99.3% indicated that they do routinely screen for hepatitis. Eighty-seven percent of respondents indicated that hepatitis testing was a standard of care. Seventy-eight percent included the hepatitis B surface antigen in their testing protocol. Only 33% of obstetricians sent a copy of the original laboratory report to the hospital labor and delivery unit. When asked about infection, 17% of respondents could not identify which hepatitis tests indicated infection.
Conclusions:
Respondents understood the importance of prenatal hepatitis testing and the majority responded that it was a standard of care. A minority of physicians sent a copy of the original laboratory report to the hospital. This could contribute to transcription and test interpretation errors at the hospital. While the response rate was low, the survey did indicate that obstetricians understand the importance of hepatitis testing while a minority may need additional training on interpretation of specific tests.
See more of Poster Session #1
See more of The 2005 National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference