Centering Pregnancy: Prenatal Group Visit Model

“It is all about you”

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Boston University School of Medicine

Despite best intentions, prenatal care is too often a hurried, brief visit with proportionally more time spent in the waiting room. Centering Pregnancy flips prenatal visits; patient needs drive the design. Centering Pregnancy is a model of group prenatal care, delivered in 10, 2 hour group medical visits following the usual interval of prenatal visits throughout the pregnancy.  Centering Pregnancy group visits offer a single bundled, comprehensive health visit including assessment, collaborative learning and social support. Participants spend significantly more time with their provider and create social networks with other pregnant moms due in the same month.

The model uses principles of adult learning and empowerment embodied in group activities of knowledge sharing and self-management.  Group models provide a much longer visit and unique opportunities to address social determinants of health and health disparities through: shared mutual decision making, enhanced two way communication, shared clinical responsibility, understanding of concerns, shared experiences and more time to address complex healthcare needs. CP group visits offer a single bundled comprehensive health visit including assessment, collaborative learning and social support.