Comparing Postpartum Visit Attendance with a Scheduled 2- to 3-Week or 6-Week Visit after Delivery.

OBJECTIVE:  To evaluate whether scheduling a 2- to 3-week versus 6-week postpartum visit results in higher visit attendance.

STUDY DESIGN:  We conducted a secondary analysis of a quasi-experimental before-after study to compare postpartum visit attendance after changing routine scheduling of visits from 6 weeks to 2 to 3 weeks after delivery. Secondary outcomes include patient satisfaction and breastfeeding continuation at 3 and 6 months postpartum. We collected postpartum visit information through a chart review and conducted telephonic interviews at 3 and 6 months postpartum to assess satisfaction with visit timing and breastfeeding status. We performed multivariable analyses to assess predictors of visit attendance.

RESULTS:  Women scheduled at 2 to 3 weeks postpartum demonstrated higher visit attendance (90.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 86.6-93.9%) compared with 6 weeks (81.6%; 95% CI: 76.3-86.2%; p  < 0.01). Predictors for visit attendance include postpartum visit timing, age, education, parity, prior miscarriage, and high-risk index pregnancy in multivariate analysis. Scheduling at 2 to 3 weeks postpartum increased visit completion in women who were younger and had lower educational attainment, high-risk index pregnancy, and no prior miscarriages. We found no differences in patient satisfaction or breastfeeding continuation at 3 and 6 months postpartum related to postpartum visit timing.

CONCLUSION:  Scheduling a 2- to 3-week postpartum visit is associated with higher attendance.