Advancing OB/GYN Knowledge, Competence, and Performance Related to Abnormal Uterine Bleeding and Intravenous Iron Supplementation for Effective Management of Iron Deficiency Anemia: Outcomes Analysis from a 2019 Educational Initiative

Background: •Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a multifaceted condition associated with immense obstetrical morbidity and mortality, and is especially prevalent in female patients of reproductive age.•Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), which often manifests clinically as heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), is the leading cause of IDA among reproductive age women in the United States, with a prevalence ranging from ~30-50% in this patient population; further, HMB is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all IDA causes worldwide. For these reasons, AUB/HMB is generally accepted as the primary causal source of IDA in daily clinical practice.•As frontline clinicians who routinely manage HMB, OB/GYNs are optimally positioned to subsequently recognize, diagnose, and treat the IDA precipitated by HMB. However, to ensure the provision of safe and effective care, adaptive educational initiatives with an emphasis on evolving iron supplementation strategies are needed. Methods: •Creative Educational Concepts (CEC) conducted a literature review, needs assessment, and detailed gap analysis to identify prominent clinical and educational gaps that exist among OB/GYNs with regard to IDA sign and symptom recognition, epidemiology, clinical gravity and risk factors, formal diagnosis, and appropriate treatment.•Consequently, our team at CEC composed a responsive, multi-pronged educational design targeted to obstetricians, gynecologists, and women's health professionals, in a tailored effort to bridge the aforementioned gaps in current practice and improve outcomes for patients.•CEC consulted with top experts in obstetrics and gynecology, maternal fetal medicine, pelvic surgery, and hematology at every stage of the educational design and delivery continuum, from proposal ideation to content development to live, on-site presentation.•To dynamically engage the target audience, especially at the community, grassroots level, this educational initiative was delivered at a series of five American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) District Meetings across the United States; live meetings were held in Lake Geneva, WI; San Diego, CA; Kapalua, HI; Rockport, ME; and Manhattan, NY. Results: •203 total clinicians were educated across the initiative •Profession •MD/DO - 93%•APRN/CNM - 3%•RN - 2%•Other - 2%Specialty •General OB/GYN - 81%•Maternal/fetal Medicine - 11%•Reproductive endocrinology - 4%•Pelvic medicine/surgery - 2%•Other - 2%>5,000 IDA patients potentially impacte