IUD services among primary care practices in New York City

Evidence of intrauterine device insertion by nurses in Primary Health Care: an integrative review

OBJECTIVES

to synthesize and analyze evidence on intrauterine device insertion by nurses in Primary Health Care.

METHODS

an integrative review, carried out in the BDENF, CINAHL, LILACS, SciELO, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science databases in June 2022, delimiting the period from 1960 to 2022.

RESULTS

141 articles were identified in the initial search, and 10 studies made up the final sample. Four (40%) were developed in the United States and one (10%) in Brazil, with publications from 1979 to 2021. The findings were grouped into three categories: Nurse training to insert an intrauterine device; Nurses' competency to insert an intrauterine device; and Women's access to intrauterine devices.

CONCLUSIONS

nurse theoretical and practical training is a prominent element, consolidated in the favorable outcomes of insertions performed by nurses and satisfaction among women, a practice that has expanded access to the contraceptive method in Primary Health Care.

Implementation science: Scaling a training intervention to include IUDs and implants in contraceptive services in primary care

Building capacity for contraceptive services in primary care settings, including for intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants, can help to broaden contraceptive access across the US. Following a randomized trial in family planning clinics, we brought a provider training intervention to other clinical settings including primary care in all regions. This implementation science study evaluates a national scale-up of a contraceptive training intervention to varied practice settings from 2013 to 2019 among 3216 clinic staff serving an estimated 1.6 million annual contraceptive patients. We measured providers' knowledge and clinical practice changes regarding IUDs and implants using survey data. We estimated the overall intervention effect, and its relative effectiveness in primary care settings, with generalized estimating equations for clustered data. Patient-centered counseling improved, along with comfort with method provision and removal. Provider knowledge increased (p < 0.001), as did evidence-based counseling for IUDs (aOR 3.3 95% CI 2.8-3.9) and implants (aOR 3.5, 95% CI 3.0-4.1), and clinician competency in copper and levonorgestrel IUDs (aORs 1.8-2.6 95% CIs 1.5-3.2) and implants (aOR 2.4 95% CI 2.0-2.9). While proficiency was lower initially in primary care, gains were significant and at times greater than in Planned Parenthood health clinics. This intervention was effectively scaled, including in primary care settings with limited prior experience with these methods. Recent changes to Title X family planning funding rules exclude several large family planning providers, shifting greater responsibility to primary care and other settings. Scaling effective contraceptive interventions is one way to ensure capacity to offer patients full contraceptive services.

Pediatricians' Knowledge and Practices Related to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives for Adolescent Girls

STUDY OBJECTIVE

A 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement identified long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) as first-line choices for adolescents, but pediatricians' current knowledge and practices about intrauterine devices (IUDs) and subdermal contraceptive implants (Implants) is unknown. We aimed to characterize pediatricians' knowledge and practices about LARCs for adolescents.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Cross-sectional online survey emailed to a convenience sample of AAP member pediatricians in New York, Utah, Illinois, and Kansas in 2015 and 2016. The study included 561 practicing pediatricians.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We measured knowledge about the suitability of IUDs and Implants for adolescents using two 7-item scales; a score of 7 indicates all correct. We dichotomized participants' scores as high and low knowledge if they scored ≥85% correct or <85%, respectively.

RESULTS

Mean age was 47.4 (±11) years; 73% were female; and 72% general pediatricians. Almost all, 88%, counsel about contraception; 64% counsel about IUDs, and Implants, but only 4.1% insert them; 72% prescribe short-acting hormonal contraceptives; 44% had read the AAP policy statement. Mean score on the knowledge scale was lower for IUDs than for Implants (4.2 vs 5.1, respectively; P < .001). Multivariable regression analysis indicated that female pediatricians, adolescent medicine subspecialists, agreeing that pregnancy is a serious problem for adolescents in their practice, and having read the AAP policy statement predicted high knowledge about IUDs as well as Implants for adolescents.

CONCLUSION

Most pediatrician respondents provided reproductive health care for adolescents and counseled about LARCs, but few inserted the devices. We identified knowledge deficits about suitability of IUDs for adolescents.

Barriers to implementation of long-acting reversible contraception: A systematic review

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is one of the most effective forms of contraception available. The utilization of LARC remains low despite being recommended by major health organizations such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Health care professionals play an essential role in the potential increased use of LARC. This review aims to highlight key barriers to the utilization of LARC and discuss interventions to address this issue.

METHODS

A systematic review of 14 peer-reviewed articles focused on LARC utilization rates that help identify barriers to the utilization of LARC in current education and practice. Articles were evaluated for strength of research design using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Research Evidence Appraisal tool.

CONCLUSIONS

Three categories affecting LARC utilization emerged: deficits in provider education/competency, lack of hands-on training, and barriers to practice.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The importance of including LARC training and education in the advanced practice nursing curriculum and providing opportunities for continuing education with LARC is demonstrated.

Provider and Health System Factors Associated with Usage of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception in Adolescents

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is recommended as first-line contraception for adolescents. Surveys of primary care providers suggest that physician and clinic factors might influence LARC counseling, but their effect on usage is unknown. Our objective was to explore provider and clinic characteristics associated with LARC usage in adolescents. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 5363 women ages 15-21 years receiving primary care within a large health system in Massachusetts in 2015. We used data abstracted from electronic medical records to characterize rates of LARC usage. We analyzed the association of provider (specialty, degree, gender, resident status, LARC credentialing) and clinic (Title X funding, onsite LARC provision, onsite obstetrician-gynecologist) factors with adolescents' LARC usage using multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Overall, 3.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9-3.9) of adolescents were documented as currently using a LARC method. Older adolescents were significantly more likely to use a LARC method (adjusted odds ratio, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.62-3.58 for women ages 20-21 years compared with ages 15-17 years). Adolescents whose primary care provider was a resident were significantly more likely to use a LARC method (adjusted odds ratio, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.02-2.68). Provider specialty, degree, gender, onsite LARC provision, and onsite obstetrician-gynecologist were not significantly associated with LARC usage in adolescents.

CONCLUSION

Being older and having a primary care provider early in their training increased the odds of LARC usage among adolescents in a large Massachusetts health system. Across primary care specialties, educating providers about the appropriate uses of LARC methods in nulliparous adolescents might facilitate LARC usage.

"I wish they could hold on a little longer": physicians' experiences with requests for early IUD removal

OBJECTIVE

This study describes the perceptions and experiences of family physicians when women request early intrauterine device (IUD) removal.

STUDY DESIGN

This qualitative study included semistructured individual interviews with 12 physicians who encountered patients seeking early IUD removal. We identified eligible participants via chart review. We analyzed interviews using deductive and inductive techniques to identify content and themes.

RESULTS

Physicians consistently referred to IUDs as the "best" or their "favorite" method, and several joked that they tried to "sell" the IUD during contraceptive counseling. Most reported having mixed or negative feelings when patients opted to remove the IUD. Most encouraged their patients to continue the IUD, hoping to delay removal until symptoms resolved so that removal was not needed. Some physicians reported feeling guilty or as if they had "failed" when a patient wanted the IUD removed. Many providers reported a conflict between valuing patient autonomy and feeling that early removal was not in the patient's best interest.

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians have complex and contradictory feelings about early IUD removal. While most providers acknowledged the need for patient autonomy, they still reported encouraging IUD continuation based on their own opinion about the IUD.

IMPLICATIONS

While IUDs are highly effective and well-liked contraceptives, providers' responses to IUD removal requests have implications for both reproductive autonomy as well as the doctor-patient relationship. More work is needed to ensure that providers remove a patient's IUD when requested.