Temporal Access to Contraceptive Prescribers in Georgia

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Delaying contraceptive access may contribute to unintended pregnancies, and during the covid-19 pandemic the appointment wait time for contraceptive care in free or low cost clinics in Georgia is unknown. Pharmacist prescribed contraception does not require an appointment and is used to improve access in other states. Research Question or Hypothesis: What is the appointment wait time in federally-funded family planning clinics, and are there differences between metropolitan (M) and non-metropolitan (NM) counties in Georgia? Study Design: Prospective, cross sectional, telephone-based survey. Methods: The Office of Population Affairs provided a list of Georgia clinics receiving Title X federal funding to provide free or low cost family planning services. Clinic location was defined as M or NM per 2013 National Center for Health Statistics Code. Using a prewritten script, researchers called clinics between Jan-May 2021 to inquire about the earliest available contraceptive appointment. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and chi square tests were completed using SPSS. Results: Of the 180 clinics called, 163 (90.6%) answered (89.6% M vs. 91.7% NM, p=0.63). Metropolitan clinics had longer average wait times to first available appointment (M 14.3 +/-16.1 vs. NM 6.0 +/-9.5 days, p<0.01), but no difference in availability of same day (50.8% M vs. 69.8% NM, p=0.07), walk-in (52.3% M vs. 68.3% NM, p=0.13), or telehealth appointments (43.1% M vs. 36.5% NM, p=0.47). Conclusion: During covid-19, average contraceptive appointment wait time in Georgia Title X federally-funded family planning clinics was 1 to 2 weeks. This is longer than the "walk-in" model that would likely be used if pharmacist prescribed contraception was permitted in Georgia. Patients seeking to minimize contraceptive appointment wait times, particularly in metropolitan areas, could potentially benefit if pharmacist prescribed contraception were permitted.