PCORI implementation projects promote the use of findings from PCORI-funded studies in real-world healthcare and other settings. These projects build toward broad use of evidence to inform healthcare decisions.

	This PCORI-funded implementation project is putting an app shown to increase teens’ knowledge, confidence, and use of birth control into practice at school-based health centers across the country.
Most teen pregnancies are unplanned and result from teens not using birth control, or not using it correctly or consistently. Contraceptive education and tailored support for decision making can help teens choose birth control that is right for them and prevent unplanned pregnancies.

What is the goal of this implementation project?

Clinicians like doctors or nurses can educate and counsel teens about birth control methods. But clinicians may lack the experience or time to offer in-depth services. A PCORI-funded research study found that Latina teens who used an interactive app called Health-E You/Salud iTu^TM before visits at school-based health centers, or SBHCs, were more likely to use an effective birth control method than teens who received usual care. Teens who used the app also knew more about birth control and felt more confident in choosing and using a birth control method.

This project will expand the use of the app to SBHCs serving teens with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds across the United States to increase teen use of effective birth control methods.

What will this project do?

The project team is working to make the app part of standard care in about 30 SBHCs across the United States. At these sites, teens receive a link to access the app when staff schedule their clinic appointment or at the time of their clinic visit. Teens can access the website that hosts the app from any device with internet access, such as a phone or tablet. They can use it either at home or in the clinic before their appointment.

The app, which is in English and Spanish, helps teens learn about different birth control methods using a game format. It also includes questions to help teens choose a birth control method that is a good fit for them. The app provides the SBHC clinician with a summary of information entered in the app prior to the visit. The summary includes the methods of birth control that the app recommended and the methods the teen is most interested in using.

The project team is training clinicians, medical assistants, managers, and receptionists at the clinic to support use of the app at the SBHCs as part of routine care. The team is also:

• Creating materials, like manuals and trainings, to help SBHC staff learn about the app
• Training SBHC staff to discuss results with teens
• Providing ongoing technical support

What is the expected impact of this project?

This project will put the app in place at SBHCs in eight states and demonstrate what’s required for broader uptake.

The project will train more than 135 clinic staff to use the app and provide information about effective birth control to more than 16,000 teens from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The project evaluation will assess how well the app is working as intended to increase teens’ knowledge about and use of effective birth control methods.

More about this implementation project: