Fertility Awareness-Based Methods for Family Planning and Women's Health: Impact  of an Online Elective

Marguerite Duane; Logan Waechtler; Margaret May; Deepa Manda; Noah F Gomez; Theresa M Stujenske

doi:10.22454/FamMed.2024.562177

Clinician Education and Training Clinician Training

Fertility Awareness-Based Methods for Family Planning and Women's Health: Impact of an Online Elective

Duane M, Waechtler L, May M, Manda D, Gomez NF, Stujenske TM

Published July 2024 Family Medicine, 56(7), 414-421

DOI 10.22454/FamMed.2024.562177 PMID 38805634 PMC PMC11280182

RRM Academy Synopsis

Online FABM elective raised medical students' knowledge and confidence

A 4-week online elective on fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) raised students' knowledge and confidence in a pre-post cohort of 462 students. Knowledge scores rose significantly in both Part A and Part B. Confidence in offering FABMs rose significantly on every question. 76 out of 100 said they would mention FABMs to most or all of the women they will see.

Key Findings

Between August 2020 and May 2023, 571 students from 103 schools enrolled; 462 completed both the pre- and postelective surveys, an 81% response rate.
Part A scores averaged 12.54 before the elective and 21.56 after it, a gain of 9.02 points (t (427)=54.26, P <.0001).
Part B scores averaged 13.76 before the course and 19.71 after it, a gain of 5.95 points (t (434)=37.83, P <.0001).
Students reported significantly greater confidence on every question (P <.0001), covering monitoring reproductive health, addressing women's health issues, achieving pregnancy and avoiding pregnancy.
After the elective, 76% of students said that, for most or all of the women they will see, they would mention FABMs as an option.

Interpretation

The study used a pre-post cohort design: students took the same surveys before and after a 4-week elective taught in two parts. A 25-question survey measured knowledge, and a nine-question survey measured confidence and anticipated behavior on 5-point scales. The participants were 85% female and 73% aged 26 to 30. The authors note that enrollment was optional, so participants may have been especially motivated learners.

RRM Context

Restorative reproductive medicine (RRM) seeks to find and correct the causes of reproductive problems, and charting the cycle with FABMs supplies data for that work. The elective included live case studies led by RRM experts. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists describes the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Among medical professionals, the authors cite formal FABM training at only 1% to 4%.

Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.

Abstract

Background and Objectives

Fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) are evidence-based means of tracking observable biomarkers of a woman's fertility for the purpose of reproductive health monitoring and family planning. However, medical education regarding FABMs is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 4-week, two-part online elective on students' knowledge of FABMs, confidence in explaining and offering them to patients, and anticipated behaviors in future practice.

Methods

The online elective, "FABMs for Family Planning and Women's Health," was delivered from August 2020 to May 2023. Students completed pre- and postknowledge surveys. Paired t tests and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for analysis of the data.

Results

A total of 571 students completed the elective, and 462 students completed both pre- and posttest surveys (response rate=81%). Students' knowledge of FABMs increased significantly. Posttest scores increased by a mean of 9.02 for Part A and 5.95 for Part B. We identified a significant increase in students' confidence discussing FABMs to avoid pregnancy, achieve pregnancy, monitor reproductive health, and address reproductive health concerns. At the completion of the elective, students were significantly more likely to offer FABMs as an option for most or all women.

Conclusions

This online elective addresses the knowledge gap in FABMs and was effective in improving students' knowledge of FABMs and their confidence and willingness to offer these methods to patients for family planning and management of common women's health conditions.

Topics

Clinician Education and Training Clinician Training Curriculum and Competencies

Clinician Education and Training › Clinician Training › Curriculum and Competencies

Marguerite Duane, Logan Waechtler, Margaret May, Deepa Manda, Noah F Gomez, Theresa M Stujenske

M Duane, L Waechtler, Maggie May, Peggy May, M May, D Manda, N Gomez, T Stujenske

PMID 38805634 38805634 DOI 10.22454/FamMed.2024.562177 10.22454/FamMed.2024.562177 Duane et al. 2024, Duane 2024