Work

Poster Abstracts

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives: Since abortion was legalized throughout the US in 1973, states have passed many restrictive abortion policies, including, in some cases, only permitting obstetrician-gynecologist physicians (Ob-Gyn) to provide abortions. There is no data directly comparing patient safety-related outcomes by physician specialty. To understand if patient safety differs by physician specialty, we compared major and any abortion-related morbidity and adverse events in abortion care provided by physicians of other specialties versus Ob-Gyns. Methods: Using the IBM Watson Health MarketScan claims database, we identified privately insured women who had an induced abortion between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2014. The primary outcome was major abortion-related morbidity or adverse events, and the secondary outcome was any abortion-related morbidity or adverse events occurring within six weeks of the abortion. Control variables included patient age, abortion type, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, US census region, and year. Results: The study cohort included 34,633 patients who had 35,272 abortions; 4,708 (13.3%) abortions provided by physicians of other specialties and 30,564 (86.7%) abortions provided by Ob-Gyns. In adjusted analyses, there was no statistically significant difference in major abortion-related morbidity or adverse events comparing physicians of other specialties versus Ob-Gyns (adjusted OR 0.98, (95% CI 0.56-1.70)), and no statistically significant difference in any abortion-related morbidity or adverse events comparing physicians of other specialties versus Ob-Gyn (adjusted OR 0.92, (95% CI 0.77-1.10)). Conclusions: There were no differences in abortion-related morbidity or adverse events by physician specialty. Our findings do not support state laws limiting abortion care to Ob-Gyn physicians.

Source: Contraception

DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2021.07.048