Having nurses provide a variety of services generally available only from physicians is one way to overcome shortages of physicians in family planning programs. To aid in determining if the quality of care provided by nurses is comparable to that of physicians, a study at a Profamilia clinic in Bogota, Colombia, evaluated the management of family planning clients by physicians and nurses. The study found significant differences between physicians and nurses in the prescription of contraceptives on the client's first visit, in prescription of methods to be used temporarily, in deferment of IUD insertions, and in changing of methods for the client. Continuation rates among the physicians' and nurses' clients, however, did not differ significantly, and clients of physicians and nurses were equally successful in preventing unwanted pregnancies.
A study was undertaken at the main PROFAMILIA clinic in Bogota, Colombia to compare the effectiveness of nurses and physicians in the delivery of family planning services. Contraceptive method continuation was the major outcome variable in this analysis. Clients were randomly assigned to physicians or nurses on their first visit and for the duration of care. On all revisits, data were collected pertaining to method prescribed, side effects, pregnancy, and method changes. There was a field survey at eight months to locate clinic drop-outs and determine their contraceptive use status. There were no significant differences in method continuation between clients who received services from physicians and those who received services from nurses. At nine months, the overall continuation of the first method prescribed was 79.1
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