@article{10.22454/FamMed.2026.669937,
author = {Henderson, Robert and Bryce, Rhonda and Johnson, Kieran and Fras, Tatiana and Nijm, Sebastian and Liu, Yiwen and Farahmand, Sahar and Hosain, Jason and Field, Tracy and Farrukh, Jill and Ledding, Kevin and Baerwald, Angela},
title = {Ultrasound-Guided IUD Placement During Family Medicine Residency Training},
journal = {Family Medicine},
volume = {0},
number = {0},
year = {1},
month = {1},
doi = {10.22454/FamMed.2026.669937},
abstract = {Background and Objectives: Intrauterine device (IUD) placement is common in primary care and is a required training objective of family medicine postgraduate programs. Ultrasound guidance is available to assist medical trainees with determining the correct uterine position and proper IUD placement, providing immediate confirmation for both the clinician and the patient. In the present study, we sought to determine whether ultrasound-guided versus nonultrasound-guided IUD placement within a family medicine training environment improves resident confidence, as well as patient pain scores and procedural time.
Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized controlled trial of IUD placement by ultrasound guidance versus no ultrasound at the family medicine resident training clinic in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. We compared resident confidence pre- and postprocedure, patient-reported pain scores at three time points, and total procedure time between the ultrasound-guided and control groups using marginal models. Confidence levels and pain scores were reported using 0- to 10-point box scales.
Results: A total of 49 patients and 30 residents were enrolled. The average increase in resident-reported confidence was greater in the ultrasound-guided group (mean difference = 1.2 points, P=.01). Patient pain scores were similar between the ultrasound and control groups at all time points (mean difference=–0.2 points, P=.45). Procedural time in the ultrasound-guided group was longer (mean difference = 10.9 minutes, P=.03).
Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided IUD placement results in improved family medicine resident-reported confidence without compromising patient comfort.},
URL = {https://journals.stfm.org//familymedicine/online-first/henderson-0039/},
eprint = {https://journals.stfm.org//media/ifnl0mzk/fammed-2026-0039.pdf},
}