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A quantitative study of general practitioners' experience and confidence with subdermal contraceptive implant devices
Lylas Aljohmani1, Linda Kelly2, Louise Fitzgerald3
1Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Surgery, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Background:
Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), including subdermal contraceptive implants (SCIs), are widely used and highly effective. General practitioners (GPs) provide most implant services, but little is known about their confidence, awareness of updated guidelines, and approaches to complications in the Irish setting.
Aim:
To assess GPs' experience, confidence, awareness of guidelines, and management of complications related to SCIs.
Methods:
We conducted a prospective quantitative survey of 100 randomly selected GPs in Ireland. A validated 12-item questionnaire was distributed via Qualtrics, with 74 complete responses analysed in SPSS v29.0. Frequency data and chi-square tests with Cramer's V were used to assess associations between experience, confidence, and guideline awareness.
Results:
A total of n = 74 full responses were collected. Results showed that while a majority (94.6 %) have inserted subdermal contraceptive implants, confidence levels varied, with 37.3 % feeling confident in insertion and removal procedures. Notably, 39.2 % were unaware of updated guidelines from January 2020. Statistical analyses revealed significant associations between general practitioners' reported experience in subdermal contraceptive implant procedures and confidence in these skills (p < 0.001), as well as awareness of guidelines (p = 0.011). General practitioners with greater experience tended to refer complicated cases to specialist services, contrasting with less experienced peers managing cases independently.
Conclusion:
This study underscores the need for enhanced General Practitioners' training on subdermal contraceptive implant procedures and guideline updates to optimise service delivery. Given the increasing popularity of subdermal contraceptive implants, addressing these gaps is crucial for ensuring safe and effective contraceptive care in primary care settings.
