Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.1017/cts.2024.929

Publication Title

Journal of Clinical and Translational Sciences

Volume

9

Issue

Suppl. 1

Pages

90

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: The goals of this research are to 1) determine the prevalence of perinatal doula services use in Virginia, with a focus on individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), 2) evaluate awareness of doulas among pregnant and postpartum people with SUD, and 3) assess provider knowledge and interaction with doulas for the care of this population. Methods/Study Population: Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to evaluate patient and healthcare provider knowledge regarding doula services and the patient–doula–healthcare provider relationship. Surveys and semi-structured interviews will be administered to doulas, pregnant and postpartum women, and healthcare providers in this mixed-methods approach. Information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Provider Identifier (NPI) Registry, and doula training programs will be utilized to recruit doulas for participation. Paper and online recruitment materials will be posted to engage pregnant and postpartum individuals. Healthcare provider recruitment will occur via the NPI Registry along with contacting physicians’ practices. SAS 9.4 and NVivo will be utilized for analysis. Results/Anticipated Results: This proposed research will be an initial assessment of the current state of doula services utilization, mothers’ knowledge of doulas and their purpose, and healthcare providers’ awareness of and partnership with doulas to provide optimal birthing and postpartum experiences to the pregnant and parenting population with and without SUD. Results from this study will be disseminated to community doulas, pregnant people and mothers with substance use disorders, and relevant healthcare providers to decrease barriers to doula care and advocate for consistent, systematic documentation of doula services in the medical record and in public health surveillance systems. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This study will be the first study to assess doula services utilization in Virginia, with a specific focus on pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders. This work will support advocacy for improved data capture and utilization regarding doula services in order to reduce barriers to care and improve perinatal outcomes.

Rights

© The Authors, 2025.

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License, which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.

Original Publication Citation

Taylor, D., Chapman, D. A., Martin, C. E., Romero, C. C. F., & Moeller, G. (2025). The role of doulas in the health care continuum for pregnant people with substance use disorder: Perspectives of patients, doulas, and healthcare providers. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 9(Suppl. 1), 90. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2024.929

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