Assessing hospital policies and practices on treatment of ectopic pregnancy

To better understand the relationship between the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, hospital policies regarding treatment of ectopic pregnancies and miscarriage, and clinical practices, Ibis conducted a national study of hospital administrators and clinicians in Catholic and non-Catholic facilities. By employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, we investigated the degree to which these hospital policies are formalized and communicated, evaluated the impact that these policies (or interpretation of these policies) have on management decisions, and assessed physicians’ perceptions as to the impact of these policies on standards of care. The results of this study informed the National Women’s Law Center’s programmatic and policy activities as well as provided critical information for the larger medical field and to researchers and advocates working to increase women’s access to reproductive health services.