Cost Minimization Analysis of Same-Day Long-Acting Reversible Contraception for Adolescents

Assessing Contraceptive Switching and Discontinuation Over 3 Years in the HER Salt Lake Study

OBJECTIVE

To assess contraceptive switching and discontinuation among participants enrolled in a contraceptive access project over 3 years and to identify variables associated with contraceptive change.

METHODS

The HER Salt Lake study enrolled individuals between 2015 and 2017 from four clinics in Salt Lake County into a prospective, longitudinal cohort. All participants were able to switch or discontinue at no cost (between March 2016 and March 2020). We collected eight follow-up surveys over 3 years after enrollment. Each survey wave included questions about method use in the previous 4 weeks. We categorized participants in three ways, allowing for time-varying outcomes by wave: 1) those who reported using the same method as previous wave (continuers), 2) those who reported using a different method from previous wave (switchers), and 3) those who reported using no contraceptive method at that wave (discontinuers). We report the frequency of outcomes and conducted multinomial regression models assessing predictors of switching and discontinuation.

RESULTS

Among 4,289 participants included in this analysis, 2,179 (50.8%) reported at least one instance of switching or discontinuation, and 2,110 (49.1%) reported continuing with their baseline method at the end of the study. Those reporting method change (switching or discontinuing) reported an average of 1.93 change events over the study follow-up period (range 1-8). Among those reporting any method change, 522 participants (23.9%) reporting at least one instance of both switching and discontinuation. Among those reporting any instance of discontinuation (n=966), 498 (51.6%) never reported uptake of a subsequent method. Among those who did report a subsequent method (n=468), 210 (44.8%) reported restarting a previously used method, and 258 (55.1%) reported starting a new method. Although we identified overlap among variables associated with switching and discontinuation, other predictors were discordant between switching and discontinuation.

CONCLUSION

New contraceptive users commonly switch and discontinue methods. User behavior is associated with certain demographic characteristics and pregnancy planning.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02734199.

Cost Savings and Effectiveness of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) on the Prevention of Pregnancy in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Adolescent pregnancy is a major public health issue with profound implications for health and socioeconomic factors. The use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) could be an interesting strategy to reduce the unintended pregnancy rate. However, the cost of LARC is still a barrier to widespread adoption. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and economic impact of LARC compared with non-LARC methods in preventing unintended pregnancy among adolescent girls. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023387735) and conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. We included articles covering adolescents aged 10-19 years without language restrictions that evaluated the use of LARC compared with non-LARC in terms of effectiveness and the public health costs of unintended pregnancy. The search for articles included the databases MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Lilacs, using the entry terms "Adolescent" and "Long-Acting Reversible Contraception." We evaluated the risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence for each outcome of interest. The search retrieved a total of 1,169 articles and, after the title and abstract, we identified 40 articles for full-text analysis. Out of the 40 studies evaluated, 4 articles met the eligibility criteria for cost evaluation, and 1 met the eligibility criteria for effectiveness as an outcome. In conclusion, LARC emerges as the most effective and cost-effective contraceptive method. The cost of utilizing LARC, especially the copper IUD, is significantly lower than the costs attributable to unintended pregnancies in adolescence.

Single-Visit Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Initiation Among Adolescents Before and During COVID-19

PURPOSE

Single-visit long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is cost-effective and convenient. Our objective was to compare incidence of single-visit LARC placement and associated factors during the year before the COVID-19 pandemic (March 15, 2020) and the first year of the pandemic.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed electronic health records from a large healthcare system. Eligible adolescents were aged 10-19 years and received outpatient LARC from March 15, 2019 to March 14, 2021. Logistic regression models determined the relationship of patient and provider characteristics on single-visit LARC before and during COVID-19.

RESULTS

One thousand six adolescents initiated LARC during the study period. Fewer adolescents received single-visit LARC during COVID-19 (289/506, 57.1%) compared to before (315/500, 63.0%), although changes in odds of single-visit LARC were not statistically significant. Concordance between county of patient residence and the location of the LARC placement facility was associated with single-visit LARC before (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.75) and during (aOR = 1.74) the pandemic (both p < .05). During the pandemic, a few factors were associated with reduced odds of single-visit LARC: (1) public insurance (aOR = 0.49, p < .01), (2) nonobstetricians/nongynecologists providers (pediatrics [aOR = 0.35, p < .01], family medicine [aOR = 0.53, p < .01], or internal medicine [aOR = 0.14, p < .05]), and (3) advanced practice practitioners (aOR = 0.49, p < .01).

DISCUSSION

Incidence of single-visit LARC was similar before and during the pandemic. Certain factors were associated with lower odds of single-visit LARC insertion, suggesting differential access during the pandemic for subgroups of adolescents. Our findings may guide policy and programmatic interventions to improve access to single-visit LARC for all adolescent populations.

Adolescent Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Use, Same-Day Insertions, and Pregnancies Following a Quality Initiative

OBJECTIVE

To compare long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) use, pregnancy rate, and same-day LARC insertion among adolescents before and after a Kaiser Permanente Northern California quality initiative.

METHODS

A 2016 Kaiser Permanente Northern California initiative aimed to increase adolescent LARC access. Interventions included patient education resources, electronic protocols, and insertion training for pediatric, family medicine, and gynecology providers. This study examined a retrospective cohort of adolescents aged 15-18 years who used contraception before (2014-2015, n = 30,094) and after (2017-2018, n = 28,710) implementation. Contraceptive types included LARC (intrauterine device or implant), injectable, and contraceptive pill, patch, or ring. We reviewed a random sample of LARC users (n = 726) to identify same-day insertions. Multivariable analysis examined the effects of year of provision, age, race, ethnicity, LARC type, and counseling clinic.

RESULTS

Preintervention, 12.1% of adolescents used LARC, 13.6% used injectable, and 74.3% used pill, patch, or ring. Postintervention, the proportions were 23.0%, 11.6%, and 65.4%, respectively, with the odds of LARC provision of 2.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.44-2.72). The pregnancy rate decreased from 2.2% to 1.4% (p < .0001). Higher rates of pregnancy were observed with injectable contraception and in Black and Hispanic adolescents. Same-day LARC insertion rate was 25.1% without significant variation post intervention (OR 1.44, 95% confidence interval 0.93-2.23). Contraceptive counseling in gynecology clinics increased the odds of same-day provision, while non-Hispanic Black race lowered odds.

DISCUSSION

A multifaceted quality intervention was associated with a 90% increase in LARC use and a 36% decrease in teenage pregnancy rate. Future directions may include promoting same-day insertions, targeting interventions in pediatric clinics, and focusing on racial equity.

Women's sexual empowerment and utilization of long-acting reversible contraceptives in Ghana: evidence from the 2014 demographic and health survey

BACKGROUND

Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC) contribute significantly to a decline in unintended pregnancies globally. However, not much is known about women's sexual empowerment and their utilization of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives in Ghana. The main objective of this study was to examine the association between women's sexual empowerment and LARC utilization in Ghana.

METHODS

We used data from 5116 sexually active women who participated in the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Women's sexual empowerment was defined as women's perception of their right to self-determination and equity in sexual relations, and their ability to express themselves in sexual decision-making. A sum of scores was created with four dichotomous items as sexual empowerment score (0 = low sexual empowerment; 1, 2, and 3 = medium sexual empowerment; and 4 = high sexual empowerment). Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed to establish the association between women's sexual empowerment and the use of LARC. Pearson Chi-square test was used in data analysis. The results are presented as adjusted odds ratios (aOR), with their respective confidence intervals (CIs) at a statistical significance of p < 0.05.

RESULTS

The prevalence of LARC utilization among sexually active women in Ghana was 6%. Majority of the women had medium sexual empowerment (91%). Although not statistically significant, the likelihood of utilizing LARC was lowest among women with high level of sexual empowerment (aOR = 0.62; CI = 0.27-1.43). On the other hand, Utilization of LARC increased with an increase in age. Women with parity four or more had higher odds of utilizing LARC as compared to women with zero birth (aOR = 9.31; CI = 3.55-24.39). Across religion, women who belong to the Traditional religion (aOR = 0.17; CI = 0.04-0.71) and Islam religion (aOR = 0.52; CI = 0.36-0.76) had lower odds of LARC utilisation as compared to Christian women. Women who make health decisions with someone else (aOR = 1.52; CI = 1.12-2.09) had higher odds of LARC utilisation as compared to women who make health decision alone.

CONCLUSION

Age, health decision maker, parity and religion were found to have a significant relationship with LARC utilization. Specifically, uneducated women, unemployed women and women who practice traditional religion were less likely to utilise LARC. However, women's sexual empowerment did not have a significant relationship with LARC. There is therefore the need for planning interventions for LARC utilization in line with educating women on the benefits and potential side effects of LARC. Also, there is a need for interventions targeted at increasing access to LARC among sexually active women.

Single-visit insertion of long-acting reversible contraception in a single health system

OBJECTIVE

To identify patient and practice characteristics associated with single-visit placement of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) across the University of North Carolina Health system.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a retrospective observational study using existing electronic health records. We abstracted data from charts of individuals ages 15-50 years who received a LARC device between March 15, 2019, and March 14, 2021. Our primary outcome was whether a patient received LARC at one, or after multiple, outpatient visits. We used descriptive statistics to examine patient, clinician, and practice characteristics. We used bivariate analysis and generalized estimating equation to examine relationships between characteristics and single-visit LARC receipt.

RESULTS

Most of the 4599 individuals received care at obstetrics and gynecology clinics (3411/4599; 74%), and received their LARC device in a single visit (3163/4599; 69%). More intrauterine devices (3151) were placed than implants (1448). The adjusted odds of receiving a LARC in a single visit was highest for those who self-paid (aOR (adjusted odds ratio) 1.83, 1.19-2.82) and those who received an implant (aOR 1.25, 1.07-1.46). Patients seen by advanced practice practitioners (aOR 0.67, 0.56-0.80) or by an internal medicine specialty clinician (aOR 0.13, 0.00-0.35) had lower odds of receiving a single-visit LARC compared to those seen by a specialist obstetrician-gynecologist physician.

CONCLUSION

Most single-visit LARC placements were performed by clinicians in obstetrician-gynecologist specialty practices.

IMPLICATIONS

Among individuals seeking long-acting reversible contraceptives from clinics in a single health system in North Carolina, most received a device at a single visit and most single-visit insertions were done by an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Same-day long-acting reversible contraceptive utilization after a statewide contraceptive access initiative

BACKGROUND

Same-day placement of long-acting reversible contraceptives, occurring when the device is requested and placed within a single visit, reduces barriers to the patient and reduces unintended pregnancies. Despite the safety and efficacy of same-day placement, access to same-day services remains low.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the Delaware Contraceptive Access Now initiative, a statewide initiative in Delaware focused on increasing same-day access to effective contraception on same-day receipt of long-acting reversible contraceptives.

STUDY DESIGN

We used Medicaid claims and encounter data to identify instances of same-day and multivisit receipts of long-acting reversible contraceptives among Medicaid-enrolled individuals in Delaware and Maryland aged 15-44 years who were covered in a full-benefits or family planning Medicaid aid category during the month of the placement and the 2 previous months. We used a difference-in-differences design that compared changes in the outcome from before to after implementation of the initiative among placements at agencies that participated in the initiative (n=6676) vs 2 alternative comparison groups: placements at Delaware agencies that did not participate (n=688) and placements in Maryland (n=35,847).

RESULTS

We found that the intervention was associated with a 13.3 percentage point increase (95% confidence interval, 1.9%-24.7%) in receipt of same-day long-acting reversible contraceptives using a nonparticipating Delaware comparison group, a 21.1 percentage point increase (95% confidence interval, 13.7%-28.6%) using a Maryland comparison group, and a 21.0 percentage point increase (95% confidence interval, 14.1%-27.9%) using a pooled comparison group. The effects were larger for implants than intrauterine devices.

CONCLUSION

The Delaware Contraceptive Access Now initiative substantially increased the number of patients receiving long-acting reversible contraceptives through a single-visit encounter. Our findings suggested that coordinated interventions involving provider and staff training and capital investments that seed device stocking can increase the number of patients receiving same-day long-acting reversible contraceptives.

Single-visit long-acting reversible contraception provision and pregnancy rates within 3 months

OBJECTIVES

To assess the occurrence of pregnancy in a cohort of women who received a copper intrauterine device (IUD), hormonal IUDs or an etonogestrel (ENG) contraceptive implant at a single-visit practice.

METHODS

Prospective study conducted at the University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. We obtained data from four ongoing studies including both the date of the device placement, the first day of the last menstrual period, and the occurrence of pregnancy up to 3 months after device placement.

RESULTS

We included 2479 device placements (413 TCu380A IUDs, 1476 hormonal IUD and 590 ENG implants). Almost half of the device placements (1113/2479; 44.9%) were performed within the first 5 days of the menstrual cycle. We observed three pregnancies: one in an ENG implant user who received the implant within days 1-5 of the menstrual cycle; one in a woman who received a hormonal IUD during days 6-10 of the menstrual cycle; and one in a copper IUD user with placement during days 21-25 of menstrual cycle.

CONCLUSIONS

Single-visit long-acting reversible contraception placements are a good strategy with overall very low pregnancy rates. This strategy has a potential to reduce unintended pregnancies and to reduce costs and barriers to both women and the healthcare system.

Low Use of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives in Tanzania: Evidence from the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey

We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) among women of reproductive age in Tanzania. We analyzed the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 2015 to 2016. The study included 8189 women aged 15–49 years. The relationship between various factors and LARC use was determined through various analyses. Among women with a partner/husband, 7.27% used LARCs, 21.07% were grand multiparous, and 20.56% did not desire more children. Women aged 36–49 years (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)-2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11–3.96), who completed secondary education (AOR-1.64, 95% CI: 1.05–2.55), who did not desire more children (AOR-2.28, 95% CI: 1.53–3.41), with a partner with primary level education (AOR-2.02, 95% CI: 1.34–3.02), or living in richer households (AOR-1.60, 95% CI: 1.12–2.27) were more likely to use LARCs. Further, women with a partner who wanted more children were less likely to use LARCs (AOR-0.69, 95% CI: 0.54–0.90). Tanzania has a low LARC usage rate. Women’s age, wife and partner’s education status, couple’s desire for more children, and household wealth index influenced the use of LARCs, highlighting the need to reach more couples of lower socioeconomic status to improve LARC utilization.

Contraceptive Use and Pregnancy Outcomes Among Women Enrolled in South Carolina Medicaid Programs

OBJECTIVE

State medicaid programs provide access to effective contraception for people with lower incomes. This study examined contraception use and pregnancy among reproductive-age women enrolled in the South Carolina Medicaid, by eligibility program and socio-demographic sub-groups.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of women aged 15-45 who were newly eligible for South Carolina Medicaid from 2012 to 2016 was examined. Log-binomial regression and average marginal effects assessed relationships between contraception use and pregnancies ending in live and non-live births. Contraception was categorized as permanent, long acting reversible contraception (LARC), short-acting hormonal contraception (SAC), or no contraceptive claims. Women with family planning or full-benefit medicaid coverage were included.

RESULTS

Approximately 11% of women used LARC methods, 41% used SAC methods, and 46% had no evidence of contraceptive claims. Method utilization varied by eligibility program, race/ethnicity and age. The likelihood of pregnancy was lower among SAC users and lowest among LARC users compared to women with no evidence of contraception across all three programs (family planning APR = 0.44; 95% CI 0.41-0.49 and APR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.10-0.17; Low income families APR = 0.82; 95% CI 0.77-0.88 and APR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.28-0.38; Partners for Healthy Children APR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.68-0.77 and APR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.30-0.43, respectively). Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic teens were less likely to experience a pregnancy than non-Hispanic white teens.

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE

The likelihood of pregnancy was lower among women using SAC methods and markedly lower among women using LARC. Variation in contraceptive use among racial/ethnic groups was noted despite Medicaid coverage. As new policies and initiatives emerge, these findings provide important context for understanding the role of Medicaid programs in reducing financial barriers to contraceptive services and ensuring access to effective contraception, while fostering reproductive health autonomy among women.

Development of a pharmacoeconomic registry: an example using hormonal contraceptives

BACKGROUND

Disease-specific registries, documenting costs and probabilities from pharmacoeconomic studies along with health state utility values from quality-of-life studies could serve as a resource to guide researchers in evaluating the published literature and in the conduct of future economic evaluations for their own research. Registries cataloging economic evaluations currently exist, however they are restricted by the type of economic evaluations they include. There is a need for intervention-specific registries, that document all types of complete and partial economic evaluations and auxiliary information such as quality of life studies. The objective of this study is to describe the development of a pharmacoeconomic registry and provide best practices using an example of hormonal contraceptives.

METHODS

An expert panel consisting of researchers with expertise in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research was convened and the clinical focus of the registry was finalized after extensive discussion. A list of key continuous, categorical and descriptive variables was developed to capture all relevant data with each variable defined in a data dictionary. A web-based data collection tool was designed to capture and store the resulting metadata. A keyword based search strategy was developed to retrieve the published sources of literature. Finally, articles were screened for relevancy and data was extracted to populate the registry. Expert opinions were taken from the panel at each stage to arrive at consensus and ensure validity of the registry.

RESULTS

The registry focused on economic evaluation literature of hormonal contraceptives used for contraception. The registry consisted of 65 articles comprising of 22 cost-effectiveness analyses, 9 cost-utility analyses, 7 cost-benefit analyses, 1 cost-minimization, 14 cost analyses, 10 cost of illness studies and 2 quality of life studies. The best practices followed in the development of the registry were summarized as recommendations. The completed registry, data dictionary and associated data files can be accessed in the supplementary information files.

CONCLUSION

This registry is a comprehensive database of economic evaluations, including costs, clinical probabilities and health-state utility estimates. The collated data captured from published information in this registry can be used to identify trends in the literature, conduct systematic reviews and meta-analysis and develop novel pharmacoeconomic models.

Adolescents and long-acting reversible contraceptives: beyond the basics

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The current article explores some of the more complex subtopics concerning adolescents and long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC).

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent research has highlighted ways in which LARC provision can be optimized in adolescents and has identified gaps in adolescent LARC access and utilization.

SUMMARY

Contraceptive counseling for adolescents should be patient-centered, not necessarily LARC-first, to avoid coercion. There are increasing applications for the noncontraceptive benefits of LARC for several unique patient populations and medical conditions.

Providing Long-acting Reversible Contraception to Adolescents: A Review

Unintended teen pregnancy continues to be a problem in the United States which has the highest rate of adolescent pregnancy among developed nations. Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) has much higher continuation rates compared with moderately effective reversible contraception; however, moderately effective reversible contraception is more commonly used by adolescents. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend LARC as first-line contraception for adolescents. Clinicians providing contraception to adolescents should be knowledgeable of LARC indications, side effects, initiation guidelines, management of adverse reactions, and adolescent specific issues regarding LARC counseling, initiation, and continuation.