Feasibility and pilot outcomes of a novel training to help clinicians counsel adolescents about online contraceptive information

Objective Adolescents frequently encounter contraceptive information online. Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility and pilot outcomes of a clinician training module designed to support counseling about online contraceptive information. Methods We co-developed a contraceptive counseling training with community advisory boards. We recruited adolescent-serving clinicians across North Carolina to participate in the virtual 3-hour training. One of the five modules was Supporting Teens with Online Information . To assess feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and pilot outcomes of this module, participants completed pre-, immediate post-, and 4-month-post-intervention measures about counseling about online contraceptive information and participated in a 4-month post-intervention interview. Analysis used a convergent mixed methods approach. Results 35 clinicians participated, with 27 (77%) completing the 4-month interview. Immediately post-intervention, the module was perceived as acceptable (mean=4.6, SD 0.5), appropriate (4.7, 0.5), and feasible (4.6, 0.5) on a 5-point scale. Participants showed immediate and 4-month increases in knowledge, beliefs, self-efficacy, and self-reported counseling behaviors (p<0.05). Qualitative results indicated that participants liked the module and many reported adapting their counseling approach and/or providing new patient-facing resources. However, they faced barriers like time constraints and difficulty remaining abreast of social media information. They recommended inclusion of specific social media posts (versus overarching themes) and a more accessible resource toolkit. Conclusions This module demonstrated feasibility, with clinician-reported pilot outcomes showing increases at both immediate post-intervention and 4-month follow-up. This intervention is among the first developed to support person-centered counseling about online contraceptive information and warrants further investigation in a rigorous trial.