Family Planning
The Family Planning Project (FPP) promotes free or low cost family planning services and birth control for low-income Oregonians at county health departments, Planned Parenthood clinics and other participating clinics. We conducted a variety of qualitative and quantitative research to better understand factors influencing low-income individual's use of contraception and family planning services, and how FPP could best promote its services. We integrated all of the research findings to develop a strategic plan with three focus areas:
- Enhance FPP service components and delivery
- Promote FPP to potential customers
- Encourage male involvement
Some highlights from implementation of the strategies:
1: Enhance FPP service components and delivery
Focused on maintaining a loyal customer base by enhancing service delivery so that clinics provided as many of the service features desired by the target audience as possible. With this objective, we coordinated a pilot and training of trainers for Customer Oriented Provider Efficient (COPE ® ) quality improvement process for clinics that to date has reached 22 clinics in Oregon. To keep all FPP partners on board with the initiative we published a semi-annual newsletter containing information and useful tools.
2: Promote FPP to potential customers
To motivate potential customers to make an FPP appointment, they needed to become aware of FPP services and how to access them. Campaign materials developed included wallet cards, posters, transit, movie theatre and print ads. We created a tool kit for partner agencies with all the materials and tips for localizing them and conducting community mobilization to help them promote FPP in their local communities.
We developed a graphic novel, similar to a comic book, to reach Latino Spanish-speaking men with reproductive health messages. The novel, Los Chidos (The Cool Ones), encourages men to be more knowledgeable, involved and supportive of their partners' decision to use a contraceptive method. The experiences of 4 soccer buddies are detailed in a brightly colored, 16-page novel in Spanish. In the book, El Conejo accompanies his girlfriend to the clinic to learn how to prevent pregnancy and gets a few ideas about how to be a better partner. Chuy and his partner had a difficult time remembering to take the pill every day so they find another method that better suits them. Chaparro, who never quite measures up to the others, has an important condom message to share at the end.
Behavioral Impact
We went straight to the customers to determine their satisfaction with family planning service delivery. From 2002 – 2005, we have surveyed over 4,000 family planning customers at randomly selected clinics throughout Oregon . Customers were very satisfied with the clinic staff and the care they received. Over the years, satisfaction has increased with the waiting times in the reception and exam rooms.
