Healthy pregnancy program in a national managed care organization: Evaluation of satisfaction and health behavior outcomes

Objective: To evaluate satisfaction with the Healthy Pregnancy Program (HPP), which was developed to educate and coordinate the care of pregnant women in a managed care setting. Study Design: Telephone survey. Patients and Methods: A random sample of program par ticipants at 3 large health plans were contacted by telephone to evaluate their satisfaction with the program overall and with its components, including an educational booklet and telephone contact with a HPP nurse as needed. Women also were asked about changes in health behaviors (smoking, alcohol use, diet, and stress) resulting directly from participation in the HPP. Of 1155 eligible women participating in HPP who delivered a baby from April 1997 through March 1998, 684 completed the survey. The response rate was 59%. Results: Overall satisfaction with the HPP was reported by 96% of the women, and 76% reported the 2 highest ratings of satisfaction (completely or very satisfied). Reports of satisfaction were more likely for women who entered the program early in pregnancy, who read the booklet, and who had more telephone contacts. In general, at least half of the women in each behavior category reported improving their behavior, especially if they were younger, identified as high risk, or having their first child. Verbatim comments supported the high satisfaction levels. Conclusions: The HPP is an example of a program that was developed to improve healthcare delivery in a managed care setting and, when evaluated, was found to result in highly satisfied mothers likely to improve their health behaviors.