Patient navigation in reproductive healthcare

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Healthcare Access
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The Dobbs decision significantly increased barriers to abortion care, including economic, informational, and logistical challenges.
• Existing resources like abortion funds and emotional support require coordination to maximize their impact on patient care.
• Patient navigation emerged as a strategy to address these coordination gaps and improve access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence on barriers to abortion care before and after the Dobbs decision.
• To examine inequities in abortion access.
• To evaluate patient navigation as an approach to improve abortion care access.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature on abortion care barriers and patient navigation.
• Analysis of evidence on the effectiveness and acceptability of patient navigators.
• Synthesis of findings related to coordination of resources and community engagement.

Main Results:

• State-level restrictions post-Dobbs intensified existing barriers to abortion care.
• Patient navigation effectively coordinates resources, improving reproductive outcomes and patient care.
• Navigators demonstrate acceptability to patients and providers and engage community health workers.

Conclusions:

• Patient navigators are a key intervention for facilitating patient-centered and culturally competent abortion care amidst increasing legal restrictions.
• Navigators have a proven track record in improving postpartum care and facilitating referrals and access in statewide programs.
• Coordinated efforts through patient navigation are essential for optimizing the benefits of support resources for abortion care.