Patient-perceived barriers to early initiation of prenatal care at a large, urban federally qualified health center: a mixed-methods study.

Background: Early initiation of prenatal care is widely accepted to improve the health outcomes of pregnancy for both mothers and their infants. Identification of the various barriers to entry into care that patients experience may inform and improve health care provision and, in turn, improve the patient's ability to receive necessary care.

Aim: This study implements a mixed-methods approach to establish methods and procedures for identifying barriers to early entry to prenatal care in a medically-vulnerable patient population and areas for future quality improvement initiatives.