Objective:
1)To understand how women at three surgical abortion clinics in an urban center of BC utilize their mobile phones
2) To understand women’s preferences of content and design for a mobile intervention to provide decision support for postoperative care, post-abortion contraception and mental health
3)To develop a mobile intervention based on findings from objectives 1 and 2
4)To conduct a pilot study to demonstrate acceptability and feasibility of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention to support post-abortion care after a surgical abortion compared to routine follow-up care
Study methods: A prospective cohort study with three phases based on “Development-evaluation-implementation” process from the MRC Framework for Complex Medical Interventions. Phase I is a mixed methods formative study. Phase II is development and usability testing of the intervention. Phase III is a feasibility and acceptability pilot study of the mobile intervention. Data analysis will include descriptive statistical analyses and qualitative analysis. Primary and secondary outcomes will be compared between groups using T-tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, or Chi Square tests where appropriate.  Sample size calculations for Phase I, II and III: 185, 28 – 30 and 60 participants respectively.
Results: This study will take two years to complete. Results are forthcoming. Ethics approval pending from BC Women’s and Children’s Research Ethics Board.
Conclusion: This study has the potential to improve follow-up care after an induced surgical abortion by supplementing patient care with a mHealth intervention. Ultimately, the intervention may be useful for women in rural and remote areas, providing an innovative approach to follow-up care.