Date of Award

8-11-2024

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

MS in Physician Assistant Studies (PA)

Department

Physician Assistant Studies

First Advisor

Clinton Billhorn

Abstract

Background: While a common, safe, and essential aspect of reproductive healthcare, abortions have been subject to countless legal restrictions and bans in the United States, especially after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. This has also exacerbated the current shortage of abortion providers. Within this crisis of worsening abortion access, it is imperative to appropriately train future clinicians to provide abortion care. Purpose: This literature review will investigate the status of abortion training in medical schooling. It will explore physician-specific education in abortion and look specifically at the impact of recent legal threats on the availability of this training. Finally, the review will discuss the role of non-physician clinicians in the area of abortion care, especially as this relates to expanding abortion access. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar. Search terms included “abortion training,” “abortion + medical school,” “abortion + physician assistant,” and “abortion + nurse practitioner.” Major studies that contributed to this review were published after 2018 in the United States and present original survey research, observational, or prospective studies. Results: Both physicians and advanced practice clinicians (APCs) are often inadequately prepared to provide abortion care. Up to 40% of medical students and more than one in three OB-GYN residents do not receive routine abortion training, which is likely to worsen as legal bans disrupt access to this care. Research demonstrates that APCs can provide high-quality abortion care; however, limited studies reveal their training in abortion needs improvement. Conclusion: To expand abortion access and confront current abortion provider shortages, it is imperative to better equip future clinicians to provide abortions. Future research should focus on the status of abortion training for APCs, providers who may be uniquely able to expand abortion care access in their communities.

Identifier

SC 11.PAS.2024.Johnson.L.

Download

Share

COinS