To explore organizations’ experiences providing family planning during the first year of an expanded primary care program in Texas.
Between November 2014 and February 2015, in‐depth interviews were conducted with program administrators at 30 organizations: 7 women's health organizations, 13 established primary care contractors (e.g., community health centers, public health departments), and 10 new primary care contractors.
Interviews addressed organizational capacities to expand family planning and integrate services with primary care.
Interview transcripts were analyzed using a theme‐based approach. Themes were compared across the three types of organizations.
Established and new primary care contractors identified several challenges expanding family planning services, which were uncommon among women's health organizations. Clinicians often lacked training to provide intrauterine devices and contraceptive implants. Organizations often recruited existing clients into family planning services, rather than expanding their patient base, and new contractors found family planning difficult to integrate because of clients’ other health needs. Primary care contractors frequently described contraceptive provision protocols that were not evidence‐based.
Many primary care organizations in Texas initially lacked the capacity to provide evidence‐based family planning services that women's health organizations already provided.
