Table 2:
Characteristics of surgically induced abortion procedures, patients and physicians who performed the procedure, categorized by low (< 10th percentile) and higher (≥ 10th percentile) physician induced-abortion volume in the previous year
| Characteristic | No. (%)* of physician IA procedure volume (< 10th percentile) (n = 52 889) |
No. (%)* of physician IA procedure volume (≥ 10th percentile) (n = 476 252) |
Standardized difference† |
|---|---|---|---|
| IA procedure | |||
| Patient age, yr | |||
| Mean ± SD | 26.9 ± 7.2 | 27.1 ± 6.9 | 0.02 |
| < 20 | 8414 (15.9) | 65 033 (13.7) | 0.06 |
| 20–24 | 15 091 (28.5) | 137 104 (28.8) | 0.01 |
| 25–29 | 11 034 (20.9) | 108 945 (22.9) | 0.05 |
| 30–34 | 8581 (16.2) | 82 054 (17.2) | 0.03 |
| 35–39 | 6639 (12.6) | 58 339 (12.2) | 0.01 |
| ≥ 40 | 3130 (5.9) | 24 777 (5.2) | 0.03 |
| Rural residence | 5951 (11.3) | 24 514 (5.1) | 0.22 |
| Neighbourhood income quintile | |||
| Q1 (lowest) | 17 682 (33.4) | 138 761 (29.1) | 0.09 |
| Q2 | 12 120 (22.9) | 108 952 (22.9) | 0.00 |
| Q3 | 9180 (17.4) | 92 465 (19.4) | 0.05 |
| Q4 | 7740 (14.6) | 76 992 (16.2) | 0.04 |
| Q5 (highest) | 6167 (11.7) | 59 082 (12.4) | 0.02 |
| World region of origin | |||
| Canada | 40 835 (77.2) | 333 373 (70.0) | 0.16 |
| Africa | 1168 (2.2) | 12 885 (2.7) | 0.03 |
| Caribbean | 1297 (2.5) | 18 075 (3.8) | 0.08 |
| East Asia | 3648 (6.9) | 29 436 (6.2) | 0.03 |
| Hispanic America | 1080 (2.0) | 13 459 (2.8) | 0.05 |
| Middle East | 884 (1.7) | 9465 (2.0) | 0.02 |
| South Asia | 2560 (4.8) | 41 743 (8.8) | 0.16 |
| Western‡ | 1417 (2.7) | 17 816 (3.7) | 0.06 |
| Nulliparous | 25 495 (48.2) | 263 565 (55.3) | 0.14 |
| No. of previous IAs | |||
| 0 | 31 288 (59.2) | 253 102 (53.1) | 0.12 |
| 1 | 11 678 (22.1) | 104 700 (22.0) | 0.00 |
| 2 | 4982 (9.4) | 51 040 (10.7) | 0.04 |
| ≥ 3 | 4941 (9.3) | 67 410 (14.2) | 0.15 |
| Total no. of adjusted ADGs¶ | |||
| Median (IQR) | 5 (3–7) | 4 (3–7) | 0.07 |
| 0–2 | 11 734 (22.2) | 115 461 (24.2) | 0.05 |
| 3–4 | 13 657 (25.8) | 125 702 (26.4) | 0.01 |
| 5–6 | 12 872 (24.3) | 113 941 (23.9) | 0.01 |
| ≥ 7 | 14 626 (27.7) | 121 148 (25.4) | 0.05 |
| Gestational age at IA, wk | |||
| Early IA < 15 wk | 50 853 (96.2) | 463 732 (97.4) | 0.07 |
| Late IA ≥ 15 wk | 2036 (3.8) | 12 520 (2.6) | 0.07 |
| Location where IA was performed | |||
| Within hospital | 45 593 (86.2) | 90 867 (19.1) | 1.82 |
| Outside of hospital | 7296 (13.8) | 385 385 (80.9) | 1.82 |
| Year in which the IA was performed | |||
| 2003 | 5446 (10.3) | 36 783 (7.7) | 0.09 |
| 2004 | 4832 (9.1) | 35 363 (7.4) | 0.06 |
| 2005 | 4588 (8.7) | 36 377 (7.6) | 0.04 |
| 2006 | 4490 (8.5) | 38 693 (8.1) | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 4585 (8.7) | 38 925 (8.2) | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 4430 (8.4) | 39 197 (8.2) | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 3950 (7.5) | 39 217 (8.2) | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 3947 (7.5) | 37 597 (7.9) | 0.02 |
| 2011 | 3867 (7.3) | 37 131 (7.8) | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 3832 (7.2) | 35 626 (7.5) | 0.01 |
| 2013 | 3157 (6.0) | 34 837 (7.3) | 0.05 |
| 2014 | 3250 (6.1) | 34 305 (7.2) | 0.04 |
| 2015 | 2515 (4.8) | 32 201 (6.8) | 0.09 |
| Physician who performed the procedure | |||
| No. of unique physicians | 400 | 79 | |
| Male sex | 31 131 (58.9) | 216 212 (45.4) | 0.27 |
| Graduated in Canada | 42 584 (80.5) | 326 652 (68.6) | 0.28 |
| Specialty | |||
| Obstetrics and gynecology | 39 245 (74.2) | 88 343 (18.5) | 1.34 |
| Family medicine or other | 13 644 (25.8) | 387 909 (81.5) | 1.34 |
| Age, mean ±SD; yr | 50.5 ± 13.5 | 55.4 ± 10.4 | 0.41 |
| No. years since graduation | |||
| Mean ± SD | 24.8 ± 13.9 | 29.3 ± 11.0 | 0.36 |
| ≤ 25 | 27 819 (52.6) | 150 978 (31.7) | 0.43 |
| ≥ 26 | 25 070 (47.4) | 325 274 (68.3) | 0.43 |
| No. of IA procedures performed in the previous year | |||
| Mean ± SD | 95.4 ± 54.7 | 2142.5 ± 1713.2 | 1.69 |
| Median (IQR) | 98 (51–145) | 1609 (835–2949) | 2.70 |
Note: ADG = Aggregated Diagnosis Group, IA = induced abortion, IQR = interquartile range, SD = standard deviation.
Unless otherwise indicated.
We considered a standardized difference greater than 0.10 to represent a meaninful significance.
Refers to all of Europe (including the United Kingdom, Wales, Scotland and Ireland), Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Based on the adjusted Johns Hopkins ADGs and derived from diagnostic information recorded in inpatient data for hospital admission, emergency department visits and visits to a physician.