The Clinician/Health Educator Team and Counseling for Long-Acting, Reversible Contraception

Abstract

The popularity of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is increasing in the USA, but national surveys show that women at highest risk for unintended pregnancy still face barriers to access. This session will present findings on provider LARC knowledge and practice, and tools and resources for patient counseling on LARC from the University of California, San Francisco and Planned Parenthood National Trial of Contraceptive Acceptability. This cluster randomized trial tested the impact of a clinic-wide training at 40 Planned Parenthood health centers across the US. This study is the first to examine the role of health educators in the provision of LARC. The impact of the clinic-wide training on LARC knowledge and practice, including the use of evidence-based criteria for determining client eligibility will be examined. Also, concordance of knowledge between health educators and clinicians, and how it impacts overall clinic practices will be explored. Finally, the presenters will facilitate an interactive session on skills and tools for counseling that is tailored to the concerns of the audience, including selected tools for overcoming clinic flow, billing and counseling barriers.