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Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains one of the most common complications encountered during pregnancy and is associated with fatigue, reduced activity tolerance, and adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.
A simple prenatal iron deficiency anemia education intervention significantly enhances patient knowledge in outpatient OB/GYN care.
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains one of the most common complications encountered during pregnancy and is associated with fatigue, reduced activity tolerance, and adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. In outpatient obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) clinics, patient education is often limited by time constraints, busy clinical workflows, and dependence on verbal counseling. Therefore, this evidence-based practice project assessed whether implementing a standardized IDA education bundle could improve patient-reported knowledge among pregnant women receiving prenatal care.
The project was conducted in a private outpatient OB/GYN clinic in California. Eligible participants were English-speaking pregnant women aged 18 years or older who provided consent to participate in the education intervention and complete pre- and post-intervention surveys.
During routine prenatal intake, volunteers received a standardized educational handout covering IDA risk factors, symptoms, iron-rich dietary sources, appropriate iron supplement use, and situations requiring healthcare provider contact. Patient knowledge was checked before and after the intervention via de-identified Likert-scale surveys. Responses were analyzed with descriptive statistics.
A total of 17 prenatal patients participated in the project. Following implementation of the education bundle, the mean total knowledge score raised by 4.2 points, indicating a substantial improvement in patient understanding. Overall, 88.2% of subjects demonstrated higher total knowledge scores after receiving the handout. The greatest improvements were noted in understanding general IDA concepts, recognizing anemia symptoms, and appropriate iron supplement use.
Additionally, 94.1% of participants reported that the standardized handout was more helpful than verbal education alone, while 100% found the educational material easy to read, supporting its acceptability and usability in routine prenatal care.
Implementation of a brief, standardized IDA educational handout during prenatal intake was feasible and successfully improved patient-reported knowledge regarding IDA. The findings suggested that incorporating structured written educational materials into routine prenatal visits could strengthen anemia education and complement verbal counseling in busy outpatient OB/GYN settings.
Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts
Implementation of an Iron Deficiency Anemia Education Bundle to Improve Knowledge Among Pregnant Patients in an Outpatient OB/GYN Clinic
Charlene A. Calma et al.
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