Access to Complex Abortion Care Service and Planning Improved through a Toll-Free Telephone Resource Line

Royce Dueck,Barbara Hestrin,Wendy V Norman

doi:10.1155/2014/913241

Abstract

Background. Providing equitable access to the full range of reproductive health services over wide geographic areas presents significant challenges to any health system. We present a review of a service provision model which has provided improved access to abortion care; support for complex issues experienced by women seeking nonjudgmental family planning health services; and a mechanism to collect information on access barriers. The toll-free pregnancy options service (POS) of British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre sought to improve access to services and overcome barriers experienced by women seeking abortion. Methods. We describe the development and implementation of a province-wide toll-free telephone counseling and access facilitation service, including establishment of a provincial network of local abortion service providers in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1998 to 2010. Results. Over 2000 women annually access service via the POS line, networks of care providers are established and linked to central support, and central program planners receive timely information on new service gaps and access barriers. Conclusion. This novel service has been successful in addressing inequities and access barriers identified as priorities before service establishment. The service provided unanticipated benefits to health care planning and monitoring of provincial health care related service delivery and gaps. This model for low cost health service delivery may realize similar benefits when applied to other health care systems where access and referral barriers exist.

Highlights

Providing equitable access to the full range of reproductive health services over wide geographic areas presents significant challenges to any health system
We review the initial decade of this service to assist those facing access and referral barriers and highlight the value of a low cost model which identifies health care gaps and informs health service planning, while improving access to the full range of reproductive options and counseling, for women throughout a large geographic area
As professionals associated with the provision of abortion service in Canada and the United States have been targeted by terrorist tactics, the security of the identities of the members of the network was considered of the highest importance

Summary

Introduction

Providing equitable access to the full range of reproductive health services over wide geographic areas presents significant challenges to any health system. We present a review of a service provision model which has provided improved access to abortion care; support for complex issues experienced by women seeking nonjudgmental family planning health services; and a mechanism to collect information on access barriers. The pregnancy options service (POS) is toll-free telephone service in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC), established to improve rural and remote access to counseling and referral for induced abortion services. We review the initial decade of this service to assist those facing access and referral barriers and highlight the value of a low cost model which identifies health care gaps and informs health service planning, while improving access to the full range of reproductive options and counseling, for women throughout a large geographic area. Barriers to accessing care disproportionally affect those with lower incomes or in rural and remote areas [4, 5]

Methods

Results

Conclusion