Abortion training in three family medicine programs: resident and patient outcomes.
BACKGROUND
Three family medicine residency programs in California integrated abortion training into routine gynecology rotations in academic years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005.


METHODS
Forty-six (88%) of 52 eligible residents participated in the abortion training sessions. Of these 46 residents, 39 (85%) chose to perform abortion procedures, and seven residents elected to provide other aspects of patient care only.


RESULTS
Resident evaluations of the training program were overwhelmingly positive. Moreover, two thirds of the 43 post-training survey respondents reported that the training program increased their interest in providing abortion services, and no resident reported decreased interest. The resident complication rate was 1.0%. In post-procedure surveys completed by 155 patients at two training sites, patients reported a high level of satisfaction with the care they received from the training team.


CONCLUSIONS
These program evaluation results suggest that abortion training can safely be integrated into family medicine residency programs, with a positive reception by both residents and patients.
Paul
Maureen
M
University of California, San Francisco, USA. maureen.paul@ppnyc.org
Nobel
Kristin
K
Goodman
Suzan
S
Lossy
Panna
P
Moschella
Joann E
JE
Hammer
Hali
H
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002140:California; D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education*; D016896:Treatment Outcome