Development of a needs assessment instrument for couples planning a pregnancy

Purpose: In Europe, preconception care is growing momentum. Nevertheless, it is often not optimized and tailored to the needs of couples planning a pregnancy. To date no instrument is available to assess the actual needs of these people in terms of preconception care. The aim of this research was to develop and validate an instrument to assess the needs of men and women planning a pregnancy. Methods: Based on a literature review and the felt need approach, a needs assessment instrument was developed. A Delphi method with a group of experts (n= 12) and patients (n= 14) was used to test the validity and reliability of the instrument. Results: A validated instrument was developed to assess (1) the needs of couples planning a pregnancy, (2) whether the current preconception care is tailored to the needs of these people, (3) which preferences couples have in terms of the organisation of preconception care, and (4) whether the needs are associated with patient characteristics. The needs assessment instrument consists of four parts with a total of 57 items: demographic factors (eight items), organisation of preconception care (five items), information needs (30 items) and needs for specialized counseling (14 items). Conclusions: A needs assessment instrument was developed and validated to assess the needs of couples planning a pregnancy. This instrument will be pilot tested in 2012 - 2013 and will hereinafter be available to assess and tailor preconception care on large scale.