ExPAND Mifeprisone, or Excellence in Providing Access to New Directions in Mifepristone Use, is a learning collaborative developed to support evidence-based use of mifepristone for early pregnancy loss (EPL) and/or abortion in primary care settings. Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen for medication abortion care that has been shown to improve the treatment of EPL. Yet, research with primary care providers (PCPs) in Illinois revealed that PCPs face numerous barriers in providing this medication for patients, including restrictions imposed by the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) and abortion stigma.

Informed by this research, ExPAND Mifepristone’s Co-Directors, Dr. Debra Stulberg, a family physician, and Elizabeth Janiak, ScD, a public health researcher, developed the program to support primary care clinics in overcoming barriers to evidence-based reproductive healthcare. ExPAND Mifepristone is run by the University of Chicago Department of Family Medicine.

OUR Learning Collaborative and Condensed Course programs  provide expert guidance and technical assistance in the form of specialized resources and tools, hands-on training, in-clinic didactics, and individualized administrative coaching. MOVE TO BOTTOM?

The pilot year of ExPAND Mifepristone included two FQHCs who successfully implemented mifepristone for EPL and devised new abortion referral protocols. Future directions include continuing to expand the evidence-based provision of reproductive health services in primary care and analyzing the effectiveness of the learning collaborative in terms of improved patient-centeredness and clinical outcomes.

As ExPAND Mifepristone continues to grow, we hope to cultivate a longstanding network of PCPs and clinical sites equipped with the resources and training needed to expand and protect access to essential reproductive healthcare.