N C Med J. 2025 Jul 30;86(2). doi: 10.18043/001c.141309.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We examined the association between driving time and receipt of single-visit long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) in North Carolina.
METHODS: We characterized drive time with single-visit LARC placement across a state-wide cohort of 4319 patients who received LARC between March 15, 2019, and March 14, 2021. Drive time was calculated on ArcGIS Pro 3.0.
RESULTS: 68% of patients received a single-visit LARC. Patients who lived 30 minutes from their LARC appointment had 1.54 times the odds of single-visit LARC placement compared to patients who drove 10 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26 1.90).
LIMITATIONS: Our data are limited by the electronic medical record-based design, as well as the assumption that the patients home address is their drive time location of origin.
CONCLUSIONS: Increased driving time is associated with single-visit LARC placement. Understanding and addressing barriers to care, including geographic accessibility, is essential to enhancing access to high-quality, person-centered contraceptive care.
PMID:41802939 | DOI:10.18043/001c.141309
