From the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
J Am Board Fam Med. 2024 Jul-Aug;37(4):680-689. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2024.240005R1.
Providing medication abortion in the primary care setting is a promising way to increase access to abortion, a threatened service in many States. This study aimed to characterize primary care clinicians' interest in prescribing medication abortion, what barriers they face in adding this service, and what support they need.
Data were collected from 162 practicing primary care clinicians in Minnesota using an online survey with closed- and open-ended response options. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, group comparison analyses, and content analysis for the open-ended questions.
Participants represented a diverse range of ages, years in practice, credentials, genders, and urban/rural practice settings, and held mixed knowledge and attitudes around medication abortion. All demographic groups surveyed expressed interest in prescribing medication abortion, with the strongest interest represented among younger respondents, women, and those practicing in urban settings. Clinicians who provide prenatal care or who already work with these medications in other contexts were more likely to want to add medication abortion to their practices. The most common barrier to providing medication abortion was a lack of knowledge about organizational policies and about the medications themselves. To empower clinicians to provide medication abortion, respondents voiced needing their health systems to build clear processes and wanting supportive networks of other clinicians for collaboration.
Given the interest of primary care clinicians in providing medication abortion, health systems have a valuable opportunity to increase access.
在初级保健环境中提供药物流产是增加堕胎机会的一种有前途的方法，而在许多州，堕胎服务受到威胁。本研究旨在描述初级保健临床医生对开处药物流产的兴趣，他们在增加这项服务时面临的障碍，以及他们需要哪些支持。
从明尼苏达州的 162 名执业初级保健临床医生那里收集数据，使用带有封闭和开放式回答选项的在线调查。使用描述性统计、组间比较分析和对开放式问题的内容分析来分析数据。
参与者代表了不同年龄、从业年限、资质、性别和城乡从业环境的人群，对药物流产的知识和态度参差不齐。所有接受调查的人群都表示有兴趣开处药物流产，但最感兴趣的是年轻的受访者、女性和在城市环境中从业的人。提供产前护理或在其他环境中已经使用这些药物的临床医生更有可能希望将药物流产添加到他们的实践中。提供药物流产的最常见障碍是缺乏对组织政策和药物本身的了解。为了使临床医生能够提供药物流产，受访者表示希望他们的医疗系统建立明确的流程，并希望有其他临床医生的支持网络进行合作。
鉴于初级保健临床医生对提供药物流产的兴趣，医疗系统有一个增加获取机会的宝贵机会。
