1
|
Malek M, Homer CS, McDonald C, Hannon CM, Moore P, Wilson AN. Abortion care at 20 weeks and over in Victoria: a thematic analysis of healthcare providers' experiences. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2024; 24:112. [PMID: 38321392 PMCID: PMC10845525 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-06299-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In many countries, abortions at 20 weeks and over for indications other than fetal or maternal medicine are difficult to access due to legal restrictions and limited availability of services. The Abortion and Contraception Service at the Royal Women's Hospital in Victoria, Australia is the only service in the state that provides this service. The views and experiences of these abortion providers can give insight into the experiences of staff and women and the abortion system accessibility. The aim of this study was to examine health providers' perceptions and experiences of providing abortion care at 20 weeks and over for indications other than fetal or maternal medicine, as well as enablers and barriers to this care and how quality of care could be improved in one hospital in Victoria, Australia. METHODS A qualitative study was conducted at the Abortion and Contraception Service at the Royal Women's Hospital. Participants were recruited by convenience and purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted one-on-one with participants either online or in-person. A reflexive thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS In total, 17 healthcare providers from medicine, nursing, midwifery, social work and Aboriginal clinical health backgrounds participated in the study. Ultimately, three themes were identified: 'Being committed to quality care: taking a holistic approach', 'Surmounting challenges: being an abortion provider is difficult', and 'Meeting external roadblocks: deficiencies in the wider healthcare system'. Participants felt well-supported by their team to provide person-centred and holistic care, while facing the emotional and ethical challenges of their role. The limited abortion workforce capacity in the wider healthcare system was perceived to compromise equitable access to care. CONCLUSIONS Providers of abortion at 20 weeks and over for non-medicalised indications encounter systemic enablers and barriers to delivering care at personal, service delivery and healthcare levels. There is an urgent need for supportive policies and frameworks to strengthen and support the abortion provider workforce and expand provision of affordable, acceptable and accessible abortions at 20 weeks and over in Victoria and in Australia more broadly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Malek
- Monash University, Wellington Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | | | - Clare McDonald
- Royal Women's Hospital, 20 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Catherine M Hannon
- Royal Women's Hospital, 20 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Paddy Moore
- Royal Women's Hospital, 20 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Alyce N Wilson
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
- Royal Women's Hospital, 20 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Munro S, Di Meglio G, Williams A, Barbic SP, Begun S, Black A, Carson A, Fortin M, Jacob K, Khan Z, Martin-Misener R, Meherali S, Paller V, Seiyad H, Vallée CA, Wahl K, Norman WV. Can youth-engaged research facilitate equitable access to contraception in Canada? The qualitative study protocol for the Ask Us project. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e070904. [PMID: 36863736 PMCID: PMC9990688 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is little to no evidence in Canada on the barriers that youth face when accessing contraception. We seek to identify the contraception access, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and needs of youth in Canada, from the perspectives of youth and youth service providers. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This prospective, mixed-methods, integrated knowledge mobilisation study, the Ask Us project, will involve a national sample of youth, healthcare and social service providers, and policy makers recruited via a novel relational mapping and outreach approach led by youth. Phase I will centre the voices of youth and their service providers through in-depth one-on-one interviews. We will explore the factors influencing youth access to contraception, theoretically guided by Levesque's Access to Care framework. Phase II will focus on the cocreation and evaluation of knowledge translation products (youth stories) with youth, service providers, and policy makers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval was received from the University of British Columbia's Research Ethics Board (H21-01091). Full open-access publication of the work will be sought in an international peer-reviewed journal. Findings will be disseminated to youth and service providers through social media, newsletters, and communities of practice, and to policy makers through invited evidence briefs and face-to-face presentations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Munro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Giuseppina Di Meglio
- Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Aleyah Williams
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Skye Pamela Barbic
- Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stephanie Begun
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda Black
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Carson
- Research, Innovation, and Discovery, Nova Scotia Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Michelle Fortin
- Options for Sexual Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kaiya Jacob
- Youth Partner, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Zeba Khan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Salima Meherali
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Victoria Paller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Carol-Anne Vallée
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kate Wahl
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wendy V Norman
- Department of Family Practice, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Munro SB, Dunn S, Guilbert ER, Norman WV. Advancing Reproductive Health through Policy-Engaged Research in Abortion Care. Semin Reprod Med 2022; 40:268-276. [PMID: 36746159 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1760213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Mifepristone medication abortion was first approved in China and France more than 30 years ago and is now used in more than 60 countries worldwide. It is a highly safe and effective method that has the potential to increase population access to abortion in early pregnancy, closer to home. In both Canada and the United States, the initial regulations for distribution, prescribing, and dispensing of mifepristone were highly restricted. However, in Canada, where mifepristone was made available in 2017, most restrictions on the medication were removed in the first year of its availability. The Canadian regulation of mifepristone as a normal prescription makes access possible in community primary care through a physician or nurse practitioner prescription, which any pharmacist can dispense. In this approach, people decide when and where to take their medication. We explore how policy-maker-engaged research advanced reproductive health policy and facilitated this rapid change in Canada. We discuss the implications of these policy advances for self-management of abortion and demonstrate how in Canada patients "self-manage" components of the abortion process within a supportive health care system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Munro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sheila Dunn
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Edith R Guilbert
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproduction, Laval University, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Wendy V Norman
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zusman EZ, Munro S, Norman WV, Soon JA. Pharmacist direct dispensing of mifepristone for medication abortion in Canada: a survey of community pharmacists. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e063370. [PMID: 36207038 PMCID: PMC9557265 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pharmacists were acknowledged as the most appropriate healthcare professional to dispense mifepristone for medication abortion shortly after the prescription therapy became available in January 2017 in Canada. OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers for successful initiation and ongoing dispensing of mifepristone among community pharmacists across Canada. STUDY DESIGN We surveyed community pharmacists from urban/rural practice settings across Canada by recruiting from January 2017 to January 2019 through pharmacist organisations, professional networks, at mifepristone training courses and at professional conferences. The Diffusion of Innovations theory informed the study design, thematic analysis and interpretation of findings. We summarised categorical data using counts and proportions, χ2 tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum and proportional odds logistic regression. RESULTS Of the 433 responses from dispensing community pharmacists across 10/13 Canadian provinces and territories, 93.1% indicated they were willing and ready to dispense mifepristone. Key facilitators were access to a private consultation setting (91.4%), the motivation to increase accessibility for patients (87.5%) and to reduce pressure on the healthcare system (75.3%). The cost of the mifepristone/misoprostol product was an initial barrier, subsequently resolved by universal government subsidy. A few pharmacists mentioned liability, lack of prescribers or inadequate stock as barriers. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacist respondents from across Canada reported being able and willing to dispense mifepristone and rarely mentioned barriers to stocking/dispensing the medication in the community pharmacy setting. The removal of initial regulatory obstacles to directly dispense mifepristone to patients facilitated the provision of medication abortion in the primary care setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enav Z Zusman
- Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah Munro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS), Providence Health Care, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wendy V Norman
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London, UK
| | - Judith A Soon
- Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cohen M. Medical abortion is an essential service during the pandemic. CANADIAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN MEDECIN DE FAMILLE CANADIEN 2021; 67:281-283. [PMID: 33853918 DOI: 10.46747/cfp.6704281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
6
|
Munro S, Wahl K, Soon JA, Guilbert E, Wilcox ES, Leduc-Robert G, Ansari N, Devane C, Norman WV. Pharmacist dispensing of the abortion pill in Canada: Diffusion of Innovation meets integrated knowledge translation. Implement Sci 2021; 16:76. [PMID: 34344393 PMCID: PMC8330203 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-021-01144-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since Canadian drug regulatory approval of mifepristone for medical abortion in 2015 and its market availability in January 2017, the role of pharmacists in abortion provision has changed rapidly. We sought to identify the factors that influenced the initiation and provision of medical abortion from the perspectives of Canadian pharmacists, bridging two frameworks - Diffusion of Innovation in Health Service Organizations and integrated knowledge translation. METHODS We conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with pharmacists residing in Canada who intended to stock and dispense mifepristone within the first year of availability. Our data collection, analysis, and interpretation were guided by reflexive thematic analysis and supported by an integrated knowledge translation partnership with pharmacy stakeholders. RESULTS We completed interviews with 24 participants from across Canada: 33% had stocked and 21% had dispensed mifepristone. We found that pharmacists were willing and able to integrate medical abortion care into their practice and that those who had initiated practice were satisfied with their dispensing experience. Our analysis indicated that several key Diffusion of Innovation constructs impacted the uptake of mifepristone, including: innovation (relative advantage, complexity and compatibility, technical support), system readiness (innovation-system fit, dedicated time, resources), diffusion and dissemination (expert opinion, boundary spanners, champions, social networks, peer opinions), implementation (external collaboration), and linkage. Participants' experiences suggest that integrated knowledge translation facilitated evidence-based changes to mifepristone dispensing restrictions, and communication of those changes to front line pharmacists. CONCLUSIONS We illustrate how Diffusion of Innovation and integrated knowledge translation may work together as complimentary frameworks for implementation science research. Unlike in the USA, UK, and other highly regulated settings globally, pharmacists in Canada are permitted to dispense mifepristone for medical abortion. We contribute to literature that shows that mifepristone dispensed outside of hospitals, clinics, and medical offices is safe and acceptable to both patients and prescribers. This finding is of particular importance to the current COVID-19 pandemic response and calls for continued and equitable access to abortion care in primary practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Munro
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. .,Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Kate Wahl
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Judith A Soon
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Edith Guilbert
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Elizabeth S Wilcox
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Genevieve Leduc-Robert
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nadra Ansari
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Courtney Devane
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wendy V Norman
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|