Anamnesis Checklist for Informed Oral Contraceptive Choices: A Spanish Perspective

This study aimed to develop an anamnesis checklist for oral contraceptive (OC) choice focused on their safety profile and associated risk factors.

This study involved eight health care professionals in Spain, including six gynecologists and two internists, selected for their expertise in contraception counseling. We employed the design-thinking process, structured in five phases: empathizing with patients' needs, defining key areas of impact, devising innovative solutions, prototyping ideas into testable proposals, and validating prototypes. This process involved an analysis of the available literature, online discussions, and an online survey to evaluate importance and frequency of variables in anamnesis. Medians were computed for each variable, and the study group collaboratively determined the variables to include in the anamnesis checklist.

Women must be informed about contraceptive options, according to health care professionals. Body mass index, smoking status, blood pressure, and personal history were identified and prioritized as variables to consider during OC counseling. Participants emphasized the need to individualize the treatment, highlightling the safety profile of progestin-only pills over OCs due to the lack of increased venous thromboembolism risk.

The study emphasizes the importance of an anamnesis prior to prescribing an oral hormonal contraceptive, as well as the most relevant risk factors that should be analyzed. A checklist was developed to facilitate safe OC prescribing.