An Acceptability and Feasibility Study of a Nurse-Led Model of Contraception and Abortion Care in Rural General Practice.
Jessica E Moulton, Jessica R Botfield, Noushin Arefadib and 2 others
PMID 39844535WHAT IT FOUND
Rural general practice nurses and doctors viewed a nurse-led contraception and abortion model as acceptable and feasible.
They identified funding barriers, specifically the lack of Medicare item numbers for nurses, and the need for strong GP-nurse trust and accessible training as key to implementation.
Key findings
01Participants generally perceived the nurse-led model as acceptable, viewing nurses as skilled, trusted providers who could improve access, though some GPs expressed concerns about nurses performing implant insertions.
02Financial sustainability was a major concern, driven by the lack of Medicare Benefits Scheme item numbers for nursing services and the potential loss of GP revenue if nurses performed billable procedures.
03Feasibility depended on strong interpersonal relationships between GPs and nurses, adequate staffing with shared values regarding abortion care, and accessible training, which was often limited by rurality and cost.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study assessed perceived feasibility before implementation, so actual barriers may differ. Participants may have self-selected due to a pre-existing interest in sexual and reproductive health, potentially skewing results toward a more favourable view. Consumer (patient) perspectives on the acceptability of nurse-led care were not included. Social desirability bias may have led participants to overstate the feasibility of the model.
Declared interests
One author (D.M.) has received research and conference attendance funding, speaker fees, and been an advisory board member for Bayer, Organon and MSD. The study was funded by the Medical Research Future Fund.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that the nurse-led model improves patient outcomes or is financially viable in practice. The study only reports the perceptions of providers before the model was implemented, and it explicitly notes that financial sustainability is a major concern due to current funding structures.