Alicia Lunardhi, DO, PGY2 Obstetrics and Gynecology at Harbor UCLA Medical Center

Olivia Scott, MS4, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine 

Madison Kent, MD, PGY1 Obstetrics and Gynecology at UC San Diego 

Alisa Goldrich, MD, PGY5 Maternal and Fetal Medicine at UC Davis 

Hindi Stohl, MD, JD Maternal and Fetal Medicine at Harbor UCLA Medical Center

The Childbirth Experience Survey (CBEX) is a multi-center, two-part survey evaluating pregnant women’s childbirth preferences and expectations in the antepartum and postpartum periods. Medical students are often a key part of research, particularly with surveys where they might have more time dedicated to consenting and assisting participants compared to a full-time clinician. This study analyzes the CBEX response rate before and after Harbor-UCLA Medical Center incorporated telehealth into prenatal care, whereby patients were physically seen less frequently in clinics and students began working remotely.

Between May 2019 - March 2020, eligible patients were consented by UCLA medical students during prenatal appointments; study surveys were completed in-person during a prenatal visit after the patient had reached 34 weeks gestation. Starting July 2020, medical student researchers contacted previously consented patients by phone to complete the survey. 

221 women (16 to 45 years old, average 28 years old) were approached in person at visits between May 2019 - March 2020, of which 190 (86.0%) agreed to participate. Of these, 141 (63.8%) completed the antepartum and/or postpartum survey(s) and 49 (22.2%) did not complete either survey. 31 patients (14.0%) declined participation. Between July - October 2020, 148 women (17 to 39 years old, average 27 years old) were contacted via phone, of which 42 (28.4%) answered. Of these, 25 (60.0% of women who answered) completed the antepartum and/or postpartum survey(s) and 11 (26.2%) answered but never followed up. 6 women (14.3%) declined participation. Voicemail messages were left on 106 women’s phones with no response.

There is a significant barrier to contacting patients for research via phone, however, once contact is made, participants continued to respond positively to medical student researcher engagement, thus highlighting the importance of medical student involvement in-person and virtually.