Prenatal Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening Guidelines: Current and Future Dissemination Strategies

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during pregnancy are associated with adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, and evidence-based guidelines recommend STI screening during pregnancy by prenatal providers. Guideline dissemination is a key component influencing implementation into care, but limited information exists regarding preferred dissemination sources. This cross-sectional study assessed prenatal STI screening guideline awareness, preferred dissemination sources, and differences in guideline knowledge and dissemination sources by practice characteristics. Prenatal providers (MD/DO; n = 225) were recruited via an online survey platform. We assessed provider awareness about prenatal STI guidelines, the dissemination source of current knowledge, the preferred dissemination source for future guidelines, and provider and clinic characteristics like practice setting and years in practice. Descriptive univariate statistics and bivariate analyses were conducted. Over 12% (n = 28) of providers lacked awareness of STI screening guidelines. There were significant differences (p=0.024) in awareness by practice setting, with 83.3% (n = 120) in private practice reporting guideline awareness compared to 95.1% (n = 39) in outpatient hospitals and 97.3% (n = 39) in community clinics. Also, those affiliated with an academic institution had significantly more awareness of guidelines compared to those who were not affiliated (93.4% and 84.0%, p=0.034). For future dissemination, preferred sources across the sample included practice bulletin (73%, n = 27), professional organization (59.5%, n = 22), and continuing education (CE) (37.8%, n = 14). Overall, guideline awareness among prenatal care providers was low, with differences across practice settings, suggesting a need for targeted dissemination strategies for providers based on setting. Preferred sources included practice bulletins, professional organizations, and CE, all of which should be tested and examined systematically for effectiveness in future work. Additional studies may examine the content of the guidelines prior to dissemination to facilitate adoption into clinical practice.