Assessment of a long-acting Reversible Contraceptive Insertion Training Program OMIT: A Questionnaire Survey

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Before launching an etonogestrel subcutaneous implant on the Australian market, a training programme for health care providers (HCPs) was designed, and endorsed by both the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Family Planning Australia. Methodology: 10,000 HCPs were trained between 2001 and 2003, and these were sent a questionnaire in November 2010. Within the first decade after its launch 633,000 implants were inserted. Results: Twenty-five percent of the questionnaires were returned and collated. Eightyfour percent of respondents were inserting subcutaneous implants, nearly 4% more than ten a month. One hundred and thirteen were not confident in the insertion technique- the “training failures”, yet most of these said that the training gave them the “skills to insert” and “confidence to insert”. As a group these HCPs were older, and there seemed to be a significant interval between undertaking training and starting to insert implants. Conclusions: To minimise “training failures” MSD now offers representatives to attend at surgeries with a placebo arm and implants to enable a “refresher” training if the HCP requests. Funding: The cost of printing and posting of the questionnaires, as well as collating the responses were funded by MSD.