The Massachusetts Access Program is a referral and case management program created to address barriers to later second-trimester abortions. This study was done with the purpose to outline the scope of, describes provider experiences with, and evaluates provider acceptability of the Program.
The researchers invited physicians, nurses, and staff working in hospitals within the later abortion provider referral network. They were asked to participate in a mixed-methods study that included a web-based quantitative survey and/or a semi-structured qualitative interview. The researchers used descriptive statistics to analyze survey data and inductive coding methods to analyze the interview data.
The participants described that transportation, accommodation, and financial assistance enabled patients to access care. The specialized and updated knowledge of the Access Coordinator in regards to abortion care also allowed her to act as a resource for providers.
The study concluded through its findings that the Access Program was a valuable resource both to patients seeking later second-trimester abortions and providers involved in abortion care. It acts as one example of an effective, highly acceptable and potentially replicable intervention to reduce barriers to obtaining later second-trimester abortions.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/45/1/23
