Interview study

We are looking to speak with healthcare professionals who have chosen not to provide or participate in abortion services

Register your interest in sharing your perspective in a confidential 1-to-1 online interview

This is not a commitment to participation

The interview lasts up to 45 minutes. We work around your schedule to find the most convenient date and time.

We are seeking participants from a range of professions typically involved in the provision or facilitation of abortion care, including GPs, obstetricians, gynaecologists, nurses, midwives, anaesthetists, and trainees in these professions. We are looking to speak with individuals based in general practices and hospitals across Ireland, including in urban, rural, and remote areas.

Fully confidential, on a voluntary basis

Participation in the interview study is strictly confidential and anonymous. All interviews are fully anonymised. No names, locations, or identifying details will ever be shared publicly. Only the UCD-based researchers Drs Camille Nadal and El Reid-Buckley (see Research team below) have access to participants’ names; they will not be shared with anyone else, including the rest of the research team. If any identifiable information is mentioned during the interview, it will be removed from both the audio recording and the transcript.

Taking part in this study is entirely voluntary. You are free to share only what you are comfortable with. You may withdraw at any time: there are no consequences and your decision will be fully respected.

Study motivations

The interview study is the first phase of the HPAC project. This phrase aims to:

Better understand the reasons why healthcare practitioners decline participation in abortion services, for example, professional interests, training, personal beliefs, and so on. We are also interested in how these reasons have evolved or remained the same since abortion care was integrated into the national healthcare system.

Examine how differing views on abortion services provision impact professional relationships among colleagues and interactions with patients.

Capture non-providers’ perspectives on potential improvements to better support healthcare professionals with diverse positions on abortion care.

About the researchers

This study is led by University College Dublin and is a collaboration between researchers across four institutions.

Dr Camille Nadal is the Principal Investigator for the HPAC project. Dr Nadal is an Assistant Professor at University College Dublin. Her research focuses on the design of technology and digital interventions in sexual and reproductive health.

Dr Aoife Mullally is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Coombe Hospital.

Dr El Reid-Buckley is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at University College Dublin.

Ifeoma Irene Njoku is a PhD researcher at University College Dublin.

Dr Sarah Foley is a Lecturer in Applied Psychology at University College Cork.

Dr Kellie Morrissey is Lecturer in Applied Psycholog at University College Cork.

Prof. Katie Siek is a Professor of Informatics at Indiana University.

The HPAC research project is also supported by a Research Advisory Group. This group of domain experts provides further guidance on specific issues pertaining to organisational psychology and implementation processes for integrating the outputs of this project into local practices and hospital services.

Any questions or concerns?

Please read our FAQs, our Participant Leaflet and Contact us to ask any questions you might have about the project. A quick call with the project's Principal Investigator can also be arranged to address any concerns or questions.