For Preventive Care, Women Need More Than an OB/GYNBy NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who see primary care doctors for their annual checkup tend to receive a broader range of services than women who see obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYNs), a recent study suggests. Because women in the study who went to primary care doctors tended to receive a wider range of services, the researchers advise that women of reproductive age who see OB/GYNs only for preventive care may not be receiving the full spectrum of recommended screening and counseling. For the new study, Dr. Mona Saraiya Of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and colleagues analyzed medical records from 2007-2010 to see what services women typically receive during a well-woman visit with a primary care doctor compared to an OB/GYN. Altogether they had data on 63 million preventive care visits. Forty-four percent were visits to OB/GYNs and 56% were to primary care doctors. Women age 50 or older were more likely than younger women to see a primary care doctor for their preventive care. Saraiya and her colleagues found that women who saw OB/GYNs were more likely to get screened for cervical and breast cancers, Chlamydia and osteoporosis, compared to those who went to primary care doctors. Those who went to primary care doctors were more likely to get screened for colon cancer, high cholesterol and diabetes and to be counseled about diet, exercise and obesity. The researchers could not assess how often doctors counseled women about contraceptives because of limitations with the data. Counseling for other health matters, such as smoking, was low no matter which kind of doctor women saw. Saraiya said there could be room for OB/GYNs to provide more services to fill in any gaps. Also, primary care doctors in rural areas may be able to provide more services when OB/GYNs are not easily accessible. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not have an official statement about whether OB/GYNs should also serve as primary care providers. It does endorse annual well-woman visits, however. A spokesperson for ACOG wrote in an email to Reuters Health that most state Medicaid programs recognize that OB/GYNs play a part in primary care. Saraiya said it will be useful to go back and look at additional data to see if there are changing trends in the preventive services women receive. We want to make sure we document where there could be room for improvement, she said. SOURCE: bit.ly/1n8GLAW
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 18:42:35 +0000
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