November 20, 2024
Global WACh Certificate Student Emmalie Griswold supports new study to help describe decision-making processes of people living in US states with poor abortion access
Since the US Supreme Court Dobbs decision in June 2022 to take away the constitutional right to abortion, more than 20 US states ban or severely restrict abortion care. Consequently, about 1 in 5 seeking abortion travel across state lines, impeding access to timely and affordable care. Understanding the decision-making, journeys and care received by out-of-state patients seeking in-person care in legal states is urgently needed to improve equitable access to abortion.
The UW Access, Delivered research team, based in the Department of Family Medicine Women’s Health Research and Scholarship Lab, recently launched a new study aimed at understanding the decision-making processes of individuals living in states with severe abortion restrictions, who either choose to order medication abortion pills through an online provider or pursue in-person care in another state. The team is partnering with three clinics providing first-trimester abortion care (two in-person and one virtual), and engaging a diverse six-person Community Advisory Board. The evidence generated can inform patient-facing decision-making tools for people living in areas with poor abortion access.
During Summer 2024, Emmalie Griswold, a 2nd year MPH in Health Systems and Population Health (HSPOP) and Global WACh Graduate Certificate student, provided critical research coordination support to set up the research infrastructure of the new study, essentially laying the groundwork for smooth study execution. This work fulfilled the certificate’s 90-hour capstone requirement intended to contribute to students’ academic and professional development as it relates to women, adolescent, and child health. Emmalie helped the study gain Institutional Review Board (IRB) ethics approval, organized meetings with community partners, identified members for and organized the Community Advisory Board comprised of abortion advocates, and drafted foundational study documents, such as a manual of operations. She worked closely under the mentorship of Principal Investigators Dr. Anna Fiastro (Research Scientist, UW Family Medicine) and Dr. Emily Godfrey (Faculty, UW Family Medicine and OBGYN), Dr. Sarah Munro (Faculty, UW HSPOP), and with community partners at Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, and Kentucky (PPGNHAIK), Aria Medical Clinic, and Aid Access.
The capstone offered Emmalie a valuable experience that combined in-class education, organizational skills, and hands-on experience in the field of research. It helped her envision what a career in policy-focused family planning and abortion access research could be like after she graduates in June 2025. She hopes to contribute professional skills gained (such as strong written and oral communication skills, project management, teamwork), along with research method skills, to a domestic or international organization focusing on abortion access and its impact on maternal and child health outcomes.
Emmalie’s capstone will be featured at the Global WACh Student Poster Symposium in May 2025. Please join us to learn more about her project along with projects by other graduating students.