Provider self-disclosure during contraceptive counseling.

Area of Science:

• Contraceptive counseling
• Family planning services
• Patient-provider communication

Background:

• Provider self-disclosure (PSD) in contraceptive counseling is not well understood.
• This study characterizes the incidence, content, and context of PSD in family planning encounters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the occurrence, content, and context of provider self-disclosure (PSD) during contraceptive counseling.
• To explore patient perceptions of PSD and its association with satisfaction and method choice.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods analysis of audio-recorded contraceptive counseling visits from 349 patients.
• Qualitative analysis of PSD instances and quantitative analysis of demographic and satisfaction data.
• Bivariable and multivariable analyses to assess associations with PSD.

Main Results:

• Provider self-disclosure (PSD) occurred in 9% of visits, with 37% of providers exhibiting PSD at least once.
• Intrauterine devices (IUDs) were the subject of 54% of PSD statements.
• PSD often preceded method selection, appearing to influence choices; patients found it appropriate and it did not negatively affect satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Provider self-disclosure (PSD) appears appropriate in family planning encounters, based on patient perceptions.
• Further research is needed to determine if PSD positively impacts patients' contraceptive method selection.
• PSD did not demonstrate a negative effect on the provider-patient relationship.