Contraceptive method continuation according to type of provider

A study was undertaken at the main PROFAMILIA clinic in Bogota, Colombia to compare the effectiveness of nurses and physicians in the delivery of family planning services. Contraceptive method continuation was the major outcome variable in this analysis. Clients were randomly assigned to physicians or nurses on their first visit and for the duration of care. On all revisits, data were collected pertaining to method prescribed, side effects, pregnancy, and method changes. There was a field survey at eight months to locate clinic drop-outs and determine their contraceptive use status. There were no significant differences in method continuation between clients who received services from physicians and those who received services from nurses. At nine months, the overall continuation of the first method prescribed was 79.1 per cent in the physicians' group and 75.8 per cent in the nurses' group (t = 1.057, p greater than .20). When controlling for first method used, the IUD users in the physicians' group had a continuation rate of 86.1 per cent and in the nurses' group 84.0 per cent (t = 0.556, p greater than .50). Of the pill users who received services from physicians, 78.1 per cent were continuing at nine months and 74.3 per cent of the pill clients in the nurses' group were continuing at nine months (t = 0.573, p greater than .50). There were no differences in pregnancy rates, side effects rates, and method change rates between the two groups. It may be concluded that these nurses were as effective as physicians in the delivery of family planning services.