"ContraceptED": A Multidisciplinary Framework for Emergency Department-Initiated Contraception

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Emergency departments (EDs) serve as key access points for individuals at high risk of unintended pregnancy.
• Limited healthcare access often prevents timely initiation of effective contraception for these patients.
• Low-barrier contraception access in EDs is a cost-effective public health strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and impact of training emergency clinicians to provide same-day contraception services.
• To integrate contraception counseling and initiation into routine ED workflows.
• To improve access to various contraceptive methods, including long-acting reversible contraception (LARC).

Main Methods:

• Collaboration between ED clinicians, OB/GYN, pharmacists, and community health advocates.
• Voluntary training for emergency physicians and advanced practice providers on contraception counseling and LARC insertion/removal.
• Development of protocols for assessing pregnancy and contraceptive readiness within the ED setting.

Main Results:

• Emergency clinicians voluntarily participated in contraception training, including LARC.
• Trained clinicians successfully integrated new contraceptive skills into their ED practice.
• Pilot phase screened 38 patients for contraception services during ED visits.

Conclusions:

• ED-based contraception services are feasible and can be integrated into clinical workflows.
• Training emergency clinicians enhances their capacity to provide essential reproductive healthcare.
• This initiative offers a novel approach to increase access to contraception for high-risk populations.