Immediate Postpartum IUD Training Within a Regional Network of Family Medicine Residencies

Immediate postpartum placement of intrauterine devices (PPIUD) offers important benefits to patients. Little is known about PPIUD training or knowledge within family medicine residency programs. We evaluated PPIUD experience and prior training among family medicine residents and faculty.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of residents and faculty in 24 regional family medicine residency programs in 2018. Survey questions focused on reception of PPIUD training and experience with PPIUD counseling and placement.

The final survey sample included 203 residents and 100 faculty with an overall response rate of 39%. About 26% (n=79) of all participants reported receiving prior training for counseling and placement of PPIUDs, while 16% (n=48) of participants had ever placed a PPIUD. Twenty-six percent (n=78) of participants reported that their residency programs offered PPIUD training. Residents and faculty who reported past PPIUD training and/or placement experience were more likely to have ever counseled patients about PPIUD (P<.001) and report that their primary training hospital offered PPIUD to patients (P<.001) and their residency programs offered PPIUD training (P<.001).

Few programs offer routine PPIUD training opportunities for family medicine residents and faculty, which may contribute to limited availability of PPIUD to patients. There is a need to improve PPIUD training and placement opportunities for both family medicine residents and faculty.