Dr. Abdul-Fatawu Abdulai and team secure CIHR Project Grant

The project, Trauma-Informed Care Guidelines for Virtual Abortion Services (TICG-VAS), is led by co-principal investigators Dr. Abdulai and Dr. Wendy Norman with co-investigators Stephanie Begun, Melissa Brooks, Leanne Currie, Gurman Khera, Charis Lai, Renee Monchalin, Sarah Monro, Martha Paynter and Carol-Anne Vallee.

Trauma-Informed Care Guidelines for Virtual Abortion Services (TICG-VAS)
$374,851

In Canada, about 3 in 10 people who can get pregnant will have an abortion at some point in their lives. Though many people need abortion care, there can be big challenges to receiving that care, such as travel, taking time off work, dealing with stigma, and finding privacy. In an effort to reach more people easily, abortion services - like counseling, booking appointments, medical consultations, and follow-up care - are now being offered by phone or video. However, virtual care often focuses on the medical and procedural parts of the process while overlooking important emotional and moral concerns some patients may have. Additional challenges like not having a private space to talk during virtual appointments or missing the comfort of meeting a provider in person can make virtual abortion care especially hard for people who may have experienced trauma or come from underserved groups. To make virtual abortion care more supportive and accessible, we need clear guidelines that help healthcare providers offer care in ways that are sensitive to people's emotional needs. This study will create trauma-informed guidelines for virtual abortion services. The goal is to help providers deliver safe, kind, and respectful care and be aware of the potential emotional and situational trauma that can accompany these services. These guidelines will also help improve equity, reduce emotional harm, and build trust in virtual abortion services, leading to better care and more positive experiences for patients.

UBC Announcement