Recorded presentation

Joan Fleischman, MD, MPA¹, Ian Bennett, MD, PhD², and Abigail Calkins Aguirre, MPA². (1) Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Early Options Training and Research Center, 427 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10013, (2) Family Practice and Community Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 2nd Floor Gates Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-615-0209, ian.bennett@uphs.upenn.edu

Purpose: Changing technologies have enabled the incorporation of first trimester abortion into primary care. Since 2001, the Early Options Training and Research program has focused on developing training in medical and surgical early abortion into family medicine residency programs. This presentation provides an overview of the progress in establishing services within eight family practice residency sites. Methods: Since 2002, five of eight participating NYC and Philadelphia family medicine departments have: 1) completed faculty training in medical abortion and MVA techniques; and 2) established abortion training and clinical services within their residency program. We document the issues that these sites encountered through formal/informal interviews. Results: Some of the challenges in establishing on-site, office-based abortion procedures/curriculum include: Support: faculty, staff and ob-gyn backup support; Legal: malpractice issues, state and hospital regulations, and security issues; Training: development of a family medicine-specific curriculum, competency measures and accreditation; Administrative: billing, reimbursement, clinical protocols and chart forms. Conclusions: We have identified and successfully overcome obstacles to training in abortion care in five of the eight residencies involved with the Early Options network. Important lessons are gained by studying the residencies that have not been successful. The network model of several programs working together with centralized administrative, training, and technical support is one that should be considered for dissemination to other parts of the country. By incorporating abortion services, family practice residency sites can have a powerful impact on women’s health, serving as a model of comprehensive reproductive health services in a setting that provides continuity of primary care.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Discuss three reasons early abortion services are suited to family practice residency programs;
• Describe four key areas involved in establishing these services;
• Construct a preliminary checklist for incorporating services at their own site.

Keywords: Abortion, Reproductive Health

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.

Recorded presentation