Documenting the safety and efficacy of medication abortion provision by advanced practice clinicians
Abortion
Awarded 2024
Documenting the safety and efficacy of medication abortion provision by nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants
Samantha Auerbach, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
$50,000

Advanced practice clinicians (APC), a term encompassing nurse practitioners (NP), certified nurse midwives (CNM), and physician assistants/associates, are a critical source of medication abortion provision in the US. APCs have been providing medication abortion care since mifepristone became available in the US in 2000, however there is a surprising lack of research evidence about safety and efficacy of APC provision of medication abortion, despite the robust evidence supporting medication abortion in general. Recent attempts to question the safety and efficacy of medication abortion have highlighted the urgent need to bolster this area of research. This study will use retrospective clinical data from Planned Parenthood affiliates to document the safety and efficacy of medication abortion provision by APCs in general, and disaggregated by provider type (NP, CNM, and PA). Results can be used to advocate for legislative action to protect abortion provision by APC providers, support clinician professional organizations and expansion of medication abortion provision by APCs, and educate general audiences on safety and efficacy of APC provision of abortion.