Purpose: To assess obgyn residents’ self-assessed competence and intentions to provide abortion care, according to their access to training.
Background: Abortion is a core component of obgyn training and care. Residents have reported benefits of routine training, such as skill in manual and electric uterine evacuation (MUA, EUA), but previous studies have not explored competence in programs with different levels of training.
Methods: Residents completed an anonymous, voluntary, electronic survey prior to the 2020 CREOG in-training examination, which included self-assessed competence in abortion-related skills (defined as feeling prepared to independently provide care), and intentions to provide after residency.
Results: A total of 885 PGY-4 residents of 1,241 (71.2%) completed the questions of interest. 60% reported abortion training as routine, 29% as optional, and 10% as none. In each abortion-related skill, more residents with routine abortion training reported competence compared to less comprehensive training types. Significant differences existed with medication abortion (77% vs. 40% vs. 21%); MUA (78% vs. 45% vs. 34%; EUA (80% vs. 53% vs. 47%); and dilation and evacuation (58% vs. 30% vs. 15%), all p< 0.001. More residents with routine training reported intentions to provide any abortion care after residency (79%) than those with other training types (66% vs. 55%, p< 0.001).
Discussions: Uterine evacuation techniques are core obgyn skills, and routine training is critical for ensuring competence. Abortion training is important for patients accessing care, particularly after the reversal of Roe v Wade, as routine training is associated with intention to provide. Thus, residency training programs must continue to ensure routine abortion training.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2023, Resident, Residency Director, Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, GME, Assessment, Public Health, Contraception or Family Planning,
Jema Turk, PhD, MPA, MA; UCSF; Jody Steinauer, MD, PhD; Nikki Zite, MD, MPH; Tony Ogburn, MD; Sarah Horvath, MD, MSHP;
