The value and importance of preconception care (PCC) have been acknowledged by leading health organizations as a vital element within preventive medicine and health promotion for the wider population. The translation of PCC from position statement to relevant service and programme delivery is essential for the benefits of PCC to be realized and relies on insights from health services research. This article aims to review contemporary health services research literature examining women's and health professionals' perceptions and experiences of PCC services.
A systematic review of original research published between 2003 and 2015 was conducted in November 2015. Multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, AMED and Maternity and Infant Care) were searched through two distinct searches to capture research literature reporting the perspective of health professionals and women towards PCC service delivery.
The search identified 13 papers (4 reported the perceptions of women, 11 described the views of health professionals [2 papers reported findings from both groups]). The analyses of the contemporary literature revealed five broad areas of focus: women's service needs regarding PCC, PCC training and education requirements, role delineation around PCC, priority and value of PCC and barriers and obstacles to PCC.
Despite the mounting evidence supporting the value and importance of PCC, there is insufficient research attention given to the clinical reality of PCC service and programme delivery. The transfer of PCC guidelines from broad policy to grass roots practice requires a more detailed consideration of the practicalities of implementing PCC within contemporary women's health care.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
3
3%
Psychology
3
3%
Social Sciences
2
2%
Other
8
8%
Unknown
47
45%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 07 January 2017.
All research outputs
#16,041,377
of 27,391,359 outputs
Outputs from Family Practice
#1,541
of 2,330 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#162,741
of 313,266 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Family Practice
#24
of 45 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 27,391,359 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 41st percentile – i.e., 41% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,330 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 8.7. This one is in the 33rd percentile – i.e., 33% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 313,266 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 47th percentile – i.e., 47% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 45 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 46th percentile – i.e., 46% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
