Safety of aspiration abortion performed by nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants under a California legal waiver

T.A. Weitz, D. Taylor, S. Desai, U.D. Upadhyay, J. Waldman, M.F. Battistelli and E.A. Drey

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue 3, 454-461

Abstract: Objectives. We examined the impact on patient safety if nurse practitioners (NPs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs), and physician assistants (PAs) were permitted to provide aspiration abortions in California. Methods. In a prospective, observational study, we evaluated the outcomes of 11 487 early aspiration abortions completed by physicians (n = 5812) and newly trained NPs, CNMs, and PAs (n = 5675) from 4 Planned Parenthood affiliates and Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, by using a noninferiority design with a predetermined acceptable risk difference of 2%. All complications up to 4 weeks after the abortion were included. Results. Of the 11 487 aspiration abortions analyzed, 1.3% (n = 152) resulted in a complication: 1.8% for NP-, CNM-, and PA-performed aspirations and 0.9% for physician-performed aspirations. The unadjusted risk difference for total complications between NP-CNM-PA and physician groups was 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45, 1.29) and 0.83 (95% CI = 0.33, 1.33) in a propensity score- matched sample. Conclusions. Abortion complications were clinically equivalent between newly trained NPs, CNMs, and PAs and physicians, supporting the adoption of policies to allow these providers to performearly aspirations to expand access to abortion care.

Keywords: adolescent; adult; article; curettage; female; human; induced abortion; legal aspect; methodology; nurse midwife; nurse practitioner; patient safety; physician assistant; pregnancy; propensity score; prospective study; United States, Abortion, Induced; Adolescent; Adult; California; Female; Humans; Nurse Midwives; Nurse Practitioners; Patient Safety; Physician Assistants; Pregnancy; Propensity Score; Prospective Studies; Vacuum Curettage; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2012.301159_7

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301159

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