Non-Directive Pregnancy Options Counseling: Online Instructional Module, Objective Structured Clinical Exam, and Rater and Standardized Patient Training Materials

INTRODUCTION: Many patients receiving news of an unplanned pregnancy need not only a test result, but also the initiation of pregnancy options counseling. Thus, this online instructional module and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) aim to provide foundational training for medical students in nondirective pregnancy options counseling. METHODS: To further the validity of a previously published OSCE, we reconsidered content, revised the checklist, and produced videos for rater training. We also developed a 30-minute preparatory module outlining a stepwise approach and providing a structured opportunity for values clarification. The 10-minute OSCE scenario involves a 24-year-old woman presenting to an urgent care center with persistent nausea who receives the diagnosis of an early, unplanned pregnancy. She responds to the news with shock and emotional silence, asking for guidance. We conducted the OSCE with 46 third-year medical students on the family medicine clerkship. Immediately after the OSCE, students completed a survey and self-assessment, followed by an individualized feedback session with a faculty member. RESULTS: In the self-assessment phase, students reflected on how successfully they utilized methods in the online module for handling emotional silence and presenting options. Student self-identified areas for improvement highlighted use of terminology and their response to difficult emotional encounters in the future. DISCUSSION: This online module and validated OSCE provide a valued opportunity for learners to practice nondirective pregnancy options counseling skills, including screening for intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion, engagement in self-assessment and receiving feedback, and engaging in personal values clarification.