The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66800

Linda W. Prine, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Beth Israel Residency in Urban Family Practice, 16 E. 16th Street, New York, NY 10003, Marji Gold, MD, Social Medicine Residency in Urban Family Medicine, Montefiore Family Health Center, 3544 Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, 718-920-2885, mgold@aecom.yu.edu, and Vanita Kumar, MD, Beth Israel Residency in Urban Family Medicine, 16 East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003.

This workshop will report on the measures that were taken prior to and during the introduction of early abortion services in several family practices. Staff preparation was an important key to success. This preparation included a staff attitudes survey, meetings about abortion with staff members at all levels, and values clarification workshops. Since the health centers involved are inner city practices with significant staff turnover, these activities were offered repeatedly over a two-year period of time. The staff attitudes survey will be summarized, noting the significant shifts from the first administration of the survey to the second, as well as important correlations among the answers (self-reported lack of knowledge of medical abortion correlated with lack of support for adding medical abortion services). If given enough time, the leaders of the workshop will take the participants through a simulated values clarification workshop. This exercise requires extensive audience participation.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants learn to:
• - identify the major fears that keep health center staff from wanting to work in a practice that offers abortion services.
• - understand the value of staff meetings – as a forum to discuss fears openly and to demonstrate administrative support
• - recognize the importance of structured workshops for staff to air their prejudices and values related to abortion, in order to foster an attitude of professionalism and patient-centered care
• - list the three key measure that facilitated staff acceptance of abortion care in primary care health centers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.