Browsing by Author "Taft, Angela"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention in general practice to increase uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives in Australia
    (CSIRO, 2021) Lewandowska, Milena; De Abreu Lourenco, Richard; Haas, Marion; Watson, Cathy J.; Black, Kirsten I.; Taft, Angela; Lucke, Jayne; McGeechan, Kevin; McNamee, Kathleen; Peipert, Jeffrey F.; Mazza, Danielle; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) intervention. Methods: An economic evaluation compared the costs and outcomes of the ACCORd intervention with usual care (UC). Data from the ACCORd trial were used to estimate costs and efficacy in terms of contraceptive uptake and quality of life. Rates of contraceptive failure and pregnancy were sourced from the literature. Using a Markov model, within-trial results were extrapolated over 10 years and subjected to univariate sensitivity analyses. Model outputs were expressed as the cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained and cost per unintended pregnancy resulting in birth (UPB) avoided. Results: Over 10 years, compared with UC, initiating contraception through the ACCORd intervention resulted in 0.02 fewer UPB and higher total costs (A$2505 vs A$1179) per woman. The incremental cost-effectiveness of the ACCORd intervention versus UC was A$1172 per QALY gained and A$7385 per UPB averted. If the start-up cost of the ACCORd intervention was removed, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was A$81 per QALY gained and A$511 per UPB averted. The results were most sensitive to the probability of contraceptive failure, the probability of pregnancy-related healthcare service utilisation or the inclusion of the costs of implementing the ACCORd intervention. Conclusions: From a health system perspective, if implemented appropriately in terms of uptake and reach, and assuming an implicit willingness to pay threshold of A$50 000 the ACCORd intervention is cost-effective. What is known about the topic? The uptake of long-active reversible contraceptives (LARC) in Australia is low. The ACCORd trial assessed the efficacy of providing structured training to general practitioners (GPs) on LARC counselling, together with access to rapid referral to insertion clinics. What does this paper add? This study is the first to assess the cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention in the general practice setting aimed at increasing the uptake of LARC in Australia. What are the implications for practitioners? The results show that implementing a complex intervention in general practice involving GP education and the availability of rapid referral to LARC insertion clinics is a cost-effective approach to increase LARC use and its attending efficacy. If the majority of Australian GPs were able to deliver effectiveness-based contraceptive counselling and either insert LARC or use a rapid referral process to a LARC insertion clinic, the additional cost associated with the purchase of LARC products and their insertion would be offset by reductions to health system costs as a result of fewer UPB and abortions. Moreover, the benefits to women's physical and psychological health of avoiding such events is substantial.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Increasing long-acting reversible contraceptives: the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) cluster randomized trial
    (Elsevier, 2020-04) Mazza, Danielle; Watson, Cathy J.; Taft, Angela; Lucke, Jayne; McGeechan, Kevin; Haas, Marion; McNamee, Kathleen; Peipert, Jeffrey F.; Black, Kirsten I.; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Long-active reversible contraceptives reduce unintended pregnancy and abortions, but uptake is low. Interventions to increase uptake in family medicine settings are untested. OBJECTIVE: The Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject, which was adapted from the successful US Contraceptive CHOICE study, aimed to evaluate whether a complex intervention in family medicine practices resulted in increased long-active reversible contraceptive uptake. STUDY DESIGN: This cluster randomized controlled trial was set in family practices in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. From April 2016 to January 2017, we recruited 57 family physicians by mail invitation. Each family physician aimed to recruit at least 14 female patients. Eligible family physicians worked ≥3 sessions per week in computerized practices. Eligible women were English-speaking, sexually active, not pregnant, not planning a pregnancy in the next year, 16-45 years old, and interested in discussing contraception or in starting a new, reversible method. With the use of a randomization sequence with permuted blocks that were stratified by whether the family physician performed long-active reversible contraceptive insertion or not, family physicians were assigned randomly to a complex intervention that involved training to provide structured effectiveness-based contraceptive counselling and access to rapid referral to long-active reversible contraceptive insertion clinics. The 6-hour, online educational intervention was based on the US Contraceptive CHOICE Project and adapted for the Australian context. The control family physicians received neither the educational intervention nor access to the long-active reversible contraceptive rapid referral clinics and conducted their usual contraception counselling. We used the chi-square test, which was adjusted for clustering and stratification by whether the family physician inserted long-active reversible contraceptives, and binary regression models with generalized estimating equations and robust standard errors to compare, between the intervention and control groups, the proportions of women who had a long-active reversible contraceptive inserted. The primary outcome was the proportion of women with long-active reversible contraceptives that were inserted at 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes included women’s choice of contraceptive method, quality of life, and long-active reversible contraceptive use at 6 and 12 months. Analyses were performed according to intention-to-treat. RESULTS: A total of 25 intervention and 32 control family physicians recruited 307 and 433 women, respectively (N=740). Within 4 weeks, 19.3% of women in the intervention group and 12.9% of women in the control group had long-active reversible contraceptive inserted (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.9; P=.033). By 6 months, this number had risen to 44.4% and 29.3%, respectively (relative risk, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.17; P=.001); by 12 months, it had risen to 46.6% and 32.8%, respectively (relative risk, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.0; P=.0015). The levonorgestrel intrauterine system was the most commonly chosen long-active reversible contraceptive by women in the intervention group at all time points. Differences between intervention and control groups in mean quality-of-life scores across all domains at 6 and 12 months were small. CONCLUSION: A complex intervention combination of family physician training on contraceptive effectiveness counselling and rapid access to long-active reversible contraceptive insertion clinics resulted in greater long-active reversible contraceptive uptake and has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancies.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Increasing the uptake of long-acting reversible contraception in general practice: the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) cluster randomised controlled trial longitudinal follow-up protocol
    (BMJ, 2020-09-22) Mazza, Danielle; Amos, Natalie; Watson, Cathy J.; McGeechan, Kevin; Haas, Marion; Peipert, Jeffrey F.; Lucke, Jayne; Taft, Angela; McNamee, Kathleen; Black, Kirsten I.; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    Introduction Through addressing main barriers to the uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) among Australian women, the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) trialled an educational intervention targeting general practitioners (GPs) and provided those in the intervention group with a rapid referral service for quick insertion. The cluster randomised controlled trial resulted in greater uptake of LARC in the intervention group. This protocol paper describes a longitudinal follow-up to the ACCORd Study to assess the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Methods and analysis Women participants (patients of ACCORd GPs) completed a baseline, 6-month and 12-month survey. These participants will be invited to complete an additional follow-up survey 3 years post completion of their baseline interview. Based on the original ACCORd Study tools, the online survey will address long-term outcomes including contraceptive continuation rates and reproductive history, any unintended pregnancies, satisfaction and concerns with their current contraceptive method, and an assessment of quality of life. We will analyse data using binary regression models with generalised estimating equations and robust standard errors to account for clustering. Discussion Demonstration of sustained use, effectiveness at reducing unwanted pregnancies and cost-effectiveness of this strategy among this cohort of Australian primary care patients, will strengthen the policy and programme urgency of addressing wider dissemination of these strategies and replicating the study elsewhere. Ethics and dissemination The ACCORd Study received approval from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee: CF16/188-201000080. Additionally, an amendment to conduct this 3-year longitudinal follow-up survey has been approved. The trial follow-up outcomes will be disseminated through formal academic pathways, including journal articles, national and international conferences and reports as well as using more ‘mainstream’ strategies such as seminars, workshops and media engagement. Additionally, outcomes will be communicated through policy briefs to Australian state and federal governments. Trail registration number This trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Trials Registry ACTRN12615001346561. Recruitment and data collection have been completed for the baseline, 6-month and 12-month surveys. Data collection for the 3-year survey commenced in August 2019.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Sustainable and effective methods to increase long-acting reversible contraception uptake from the ACCORd general practice trial
    (Wiley, 2022) Taft, Angela; Watson, Cathy J.; McCarthy, Edwina; Black, Kirsten I.; Lucke, Jayne; McGeechan, Kevin; Haas, Marion; McNamee, Kathleen; Peipert, Jeffrey F.; Mazza, Danielle; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    Objective: Most Australian women access contraception through general practitioners (GPs) but choose oral methods rather than long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCS). The Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) successfully tested a complex intervention for LARC uptake. We aimed to explore the critical elements of this intervention to increase LARC uptake. Design: ACCORd was a cluster randomised control trial conducted in 57 GP clinics in Melbourne, Australia. To explore intervention impact, fidelity checks (n=21 GPs) and interviews with 37 GPs and 40 patients were undertaken 12 months after initial consultations. Data were inductively coded, thematically analysed and mapped to Normalization Process Theory constructs. Results: Doctors understood the importance of effectiveness-based contraceptive counselling (EBCC). GPs demonstrated cognitive engagement in the promotion of LARC and some appreciated the rapid referral pathways. GPs and women valued the effectiveness approach. GPs held varying views about having a rapid referral pathway, with many already having established pathways in place. Some GPs viewed intrauterine device insertion costs or insertion training as barriers to ongoing practice. Most GPs and women saw the ACCORD model as effective and sustainable. Conclusions: GP training in EBCC and the use of rapid referral pathways were critical features of an effective sustainable model for successful uptake of LARCs in primary care. Implications for public health: Improving Australian women's access to and use of LARCs is sustainable with EBCC training and support for general practitioners.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Women's satisfaction with and ongoing use of hormonal long-acting methods compared to the oral contraceptive pill: Findings from an Australian general practice cluster randomised trial (ACCORd)
    (Wiley, 2021) Black, Kirsten I.; McGeechan, Kevin; Watson, Cathy J.; Lucke, Jayne; Taft, Angela; McNamee, Kathleen; Haas, Marion; Peipert, Jeffrey F.; Mazza, Danielle; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    Background: The Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) aimed to assess the impact of a complex general practice intervention on the uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC). Aims: Using survey data from enrolled women, we aimed to compare the ongoing use and satisfaction of women who chose one of the hormonal LARC methods including the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) or levonorgestrel implant compared to the oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Materials and methods: We used the data from participants' baseline, six and 12-month surveys to identify new users of implants, LNG-IUS or OCP. We included demographic information, ongoing use of the contraceptive method, reasons for dissatisfaction and discontinuation and experience of side-effects. Proportions were compared using χ2 tests. Results: Of the 740 women enrolled in ACCORd, 176 started using a hormonal LARC or OCP in the study's first six months with 76 using the IUS (43%), 60 the implant (34%) and 40 (23%) the OCP. Twelve-month continuation rates for the LNG-IUS, implant and OCP were 93, 83 and 65% respectively (P < 0.001). Satisfaction was highest among the LNG-IUS users; 86% were very/somewhat satisfied compared to 75% of implant users and 61% of OCP users (P < 0.001). Main reasons for method dissatisfaction were irregular bleeding and mood changes which were similar for all methods. Conclusions: This study provides further evidence that hormonal LARC methods have higher continuation and satisfaction rates compared to the OCP with similar side-effects. Since hormonal LARC methods have the highest contraceptive efficacy, these should be offered first-line to women.