One-stop shopping: description of a model program to provide primary care to substance-abusing women and their children.

Primary care services were developed to provide comprehensive women's health and pediatric care to substance-abusing women and their children in a substance abuse treatment program. A pediatric nurse practitioner and a certified nurse mid-wife functioned in collaborative roles with the objective of providing women and their children better access to health services. Data were collected on intake on general health maintenance, birth variables, and parenting education. Findings that were consistent with current research literature included better outcomes at birth for women who received prenatal care, up-to-date health maintenance visits, and improved immunization rates. An increase in relapse was noted for women during the postpartum period. Through a structured parenting education program women were found to have improved parenting skills. Women in drug treatment respond positively to a collaborative comprehensive model of practice. Many women who left the program continued to bring their children to the pediatric nurse practitioner for health care.