Nancy Goler, MD, is recognized for her groundbreaking work, which is recorded in her article, “Substance Abuse Treatment Linked with Prenatal Visits Improves Perinatal Outcomes: A New Standard,” published in the Journal of Perinatology (2008).
Dr. Goler led a research team in evaluating KP’s Early Start program over a four-year period in a study that involved nearly 50,000 pregnant women. Early Start is a unique program that provides substance abuse treatment within Ob/Gyn departments with appointments linked to routine prenatal care. This greatly increases a woman’s chance of success in stopping the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy.
Dr. Goler’s study showed that pregnant women who received substance abuse treatment through Early Start had similar outcomes for themselves and their babies as pregnant women with no evidence of substance abuse.
Study findings clearly support the Early Start model of care for all prenatal clinics and establish the program as the gold standard for replication.