Advancing access to abortion for under-served populations through tools for health professionals and people seeking care

In partnership with The Contraception & Abortion Research Team (CART) and funded by Health Canada, UBC CPD is creating education for health professionals across Canada who can provide abortion care: physicians, midwives, registered nurses and others. The project addresses intersectionality and the compounding of historic, systemic and sustained barriers to seeking care/optimal care for underserved populations. Through the discovery, creation and delivery of professional development, we will focus on the learning gaps that currently exist and create education to help address these educational needs. 

Phase 1: Discovery (ends July 2023) 

In this phase, we engaged with stakeholders across the country through four focus group sessions:  

1. Physicians and nurse practitioners with expertise in abortion care,

2. Physician and nurse practitioner non-expert providers of abortion care,

3. Registered nurses and midwives with expertise in abortion care, and 

4. People with lived experiences in accessing (or trying to access) abortion care within the past 5 years in Canada.   

The patient voice 

The inclusion of patient voices in the planning, development and implementation of continuing professional development provides unique perspectives and advances patient- and family-centred care. We accept lived and living experience as a form of evidence.  

Phase 2: Education Design and Development (ends Feb 2024) 

1. Learning objectives and outline 
2. Learning format determined 
3. Education development 
4. Testing 

Phase 3: Education Delivery and Marketing (ends March 2024) 

Education is anticipated in coming weeks. Learn more and sign-up to be notified when registration opens.  

Our partner 

The Contraception & Abortion Research Team (CART) is a national, interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral collaboration performing research to support health services and policies to ensure equitable access to high-quality family planning knowledge, methods and services for people and families throughout Canada.   CART-GRAC is co-led by Dr. Wendy V. Norman and Dr. Sarah Munro, with infrastructure at The University of British Columbia, within the Women’s Health Research Institute of British Columbia Women’s Hospital and Health Centre and the Provincial Health Services Authority.  Learn more about CART.   Learn more about this project.

Acknowledgements