WIP 10 - Identifying Opportunities for Improvement of Pediatric Residents' Knowledge and Skills in Contraception Counseling and Prescribing for Hospitalized Adolescents

Poster Number: WIP 10
Publication Number: WIP 10.829

Background: Adolescent birth rates have declined in recent years, but rates of unplanned pregnancy remain higher for adolescents in the USA as compared to other developed countries. Adolescent pregnancy is associated with many negative health outcomes for mother and infant. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all adolescents receive sexual health care at well child visits and in the inpatient setting. However, many adolescents do not receive sufficient screening or counseling on sexual health topics in either outpatient or inpatient settings.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate Pediatric residents' perception of their knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward providing counseling on contraception and, if appropriate, prescribing contraception for hospitalized adolescents. We also aimed to understand which barriers Pediatric residents face when attempting to provide hospitalized adolescents with contraception counseling and prescriptions.

Design/Methods: This study was designated as non-human subjects research, so was not required to undergo IRB review. This single-center study involved Pediatric residents at a quaternary freestanding children's hospital and employed a mixed-methods needs assessment with two phases. The first phase was a discussion and brief survey with the goal of identifying common barriers to performing the behaviors of interest; 24 residents participated and results were used to guide development of the second phase. The second phase was a survey including demographic and quantitative elements (total length of 46 to 53 items depending on responses). This survey was distributed to 82 Pediatric residents; responses are being collected. By 12/2023, we anticipate transition to data analysis, which will focus on trends in residents' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding contraception counseling and prescribing for hospitalized adolescents as well as barriers to providing this care. In the future, we hope to use opportunities for improvement identified in this study to enhance residents' education on providing sexual health care for adolescents.