Friends/Family in the Abortion Procedure Room (FAIR)

Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida

Status: Completed

Conditions: Abortion; Anxiety; Pain

Treatments: Behavioral: Support Person Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03227614

Pro00019968

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to explore patient, support person, and health care providers' experience and satisfaction with social support in the abortion procedure room. Although some providers do allow a support person in the abortion procedure room, no study has formally examined the effects of this practice.

If this study demonstrates higher patient satisfaction and lower perceptions of pain and anxiety levels in patients who have social support in the in-clinic abortion procedure room, this could change standard procedures in the in-clinic abortion procedure room, allowing for more positive patient experiences.

Full description

Having an abortion is a complexly emotional experience for many women. Women with strong social support, from a partner, friend or family member, report better psychological adjustment. During medication abortion, patients reported high satisfaction levels, in part, because of being able to share the experience with another person. During in-clinic abortion, patients report lower levels of anxiety when they have a support person (partner, spouse, friend or family member) in the post-abortion recovery room. Additionally, support persons indicate feeling they can successfully comfort the woman. In the abortion procedure room, doula support has a positive psychological impact on patients and decreases the need for additional clinic support resources. Because doula support in the abortion procedure room and social support in the post-abortion recovery room improves patient experience, it is reasonable to believe that having a support person in the procedure room may also improve patient experience. However, there are no data about the patient, support person, and health care provider's experience and satisfaction with a support person in the abortion procedure room.

This study aims to explore patient, support person, and health care providers' experience and satisfaction with social support in the abortion procedure room. Although some providers do allow a support person in the abortion procedure room, no study has formally examined the effects of this practice.

If this study demonstrates higher patient satisfaction and lower perceptions of pain and anxiety levels in patients who have social support in the in-clinic abortion procedure room, this could change standard procedures in the in-clinic abortion procedure room, allowing for more positive patient experiences.

Enrollment: 422 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Patients:

• Any patient who presents and consents for dilation and curettage
• Patient participants 17 and younger must have a legal guardian provide consent for participation, and the patient must provide assent
• Ability to provide written informed consent in English and comply with all study procedures

Support Persons:

• Any person 18 years and older who the patient selects to accompany as their support person
• Ability to provide written informed consent in English and comply with all study procedures

Health Care Providers:

• Any health center staff attending to the enrolled patient in both intervention and control arms of the study
• Ability to provide written informed consent in English and comply with all study procedures

Exclusion criteria

• Patients without a support person on-site willing to participate
• Patients or support persons that are unable to provide written informed consent in English and comply with all study procedures.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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422 participants in 2 patient groups

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

This arm of participants will not experience the intervention of having a support person of the patient's choice support the patient during their abortion.

Support Person Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

This arm of participants will experience the intervention of having a support person of the patient's choice support them during their abortion procedure.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Support Person Intervention