Needs assessment for the development of an intervention to promote LARC provision in primary care
Contraception
Awarded 2013
Trainee Grants
Elizabeth Janiak, MA, MSc
Harvard University
$4,060

Objectives: to enumerate facilitators of and barriers to the provision of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) in community health centers (CHCs), in order to identify potential points of intervention to better support provision of these methods. Methods: Focus groups discussions (with clinicians and staff who have direct patient contact) and key informant interviews (with administrators) at three CHCs in Massachusetts purposively sampled for diversity on the following critera: 1) Geographic location; 2) CHC type (federally qualified vs. “look-alike”); 3) Population served. Results: Barriers to and facilitators of LARC provision in the CHC setting exist at the individual provider/staff member, health facility, and health systems levels. Knowledge of LARC varies among CHC staff. Perceptions of the factors affecting LARC provision vary widely between clinicians, clinical support staff, and customer service staff. Conclusion: Improving access to LARC in the CHC setting will require intervention at both the health center and the health systems levels.