Choice Connect Canada
Choice Connect helps you find your nearest abortion provider based on your needs. The app features detailed referral information for more than 120 abortion providers and clinics across Canada.
Choice Connect, a new national abortion referral app, launched at the True North Conference on Wednesday. Choice Connect helps pregnant people find their nearest abortion provider based on their needs. The app features detailed referral information for more than 120 abortion providers and clinics across Canada.
“This app changes the abortion landscape in Canada,” said SHORE Centre Executive Director, Lyndsey Butcher. “For the first time, Canada has a comprehensive online source for accurate information on abortion options and providers. Cis women and trans people will no longer need to spend hours online, bombarded with conflicting, inaccurate information while trying to access healthcare.”
The app was developed by Zeitspace, a software development consultancy, and donated to Kitchener’s Planned Parenthood affiliate, SHORE Centre.
“Our work on Choice Connect shows one way that our tech community can use its talents and resources to address long-standing social issues. It was easy for us to work with SHORE on Choice Connect, as they were so well prepared and clear in what it was they were trying to do,” said Mark Connolly, a partner at Zeitspace.
Choice Connect is expected to improve access to abortion services, most significantly for medical abortion with the abortion pill.
“Medical abortion is a disruptive innovation that is rapidly changing the landscape of choice for Canadians. Whereas before, patients would have to travel to freestanding clinics or a limited number of hospitals, there are now hundreds of trained providers across Canada. However, these providers offer no benefit to patients if they cannot be located,” said Dr. Dustin Costescu, Assistant professor and Family Planning Specialist at McMaster University. “The Choice Connect app provides an opportunity for people to find safe care closer to home, which is a win for patients.”
Advocates and researchers have often pointed to the difficulty patients have accessing an abortion referral, “This new resource is urgently needed,” said Wendy Norman, CIHR-PHAC Chair of the Family Planning Public Health Research. “Canadian research clearly shows that people across the country have trouble finding their nearest abortion provider. The excellent design, comprehensive list of services, and easy to use features will be invaluable to connect those who want an abortion with providers, in the shortest time possible.”
Choice Connect opens online and is used anonymously with no identifying information stored.
This new resource is urgently needed. Canadian research clearly shows that people across the country have trouble finding their nearest abortion provider.
The excellent design, comprehensive list of services, and easy to use features will be invaluable to connect those who want an abortion with providers, in the shortest time possible.
Fewer than 20% of hospitals across Canada provide accessible abortion care, making it very difficult for pregnant people to find the services they need. The Choice Connect app has the potential to greatly improve access, particularly in smaller, rural and remote communities.
Every person needs access to quality and trustworthy health services and that includes abortion. Although 1 in 3 people who can become pregnant will want access to abortion at some point in their lifetime, it can still be difficult to locate a provider. Resources like Choice Connect support real access for all people in Canada, not just some.
If you’re unexpectedly pregnant and not sure what to do next, it can be extra hard in a rural or remote area to find safe, supportive people to talk to quickly. This app will be so helpful for increasing access for Canadians seeking accurate and reliable abortion information.
Medical abortion is a disruptive innovation that is rapidly changing the landscape of choice for Canadians. Whereas before, patients would have to travel to freestanding clinics or a limited number of hospitals, there are now hundreds of trained providers across Canada. However, these providers offer no benefit to patients if they cannot be located.
The Choice Connect app provides an opportunity for people to find safe care closer to home, which is a win for patients.
Choice Connect is an amazing and innovative tool that Canadians seeking abortion have long needed. The app bridges the gap between making abortion information easy to find, and protecting the safety of abortion providers. Not only does Choice Connect enable pregnant people to quickly find the closest abortion provider, it also relies on a toll-free line to protect the anonymity of providers who worry about possible anti-choice harassment. Choice Connect is a major advance towards accessible abortion care.
The Choice Connect app helps to provide tailored and accessible information to folks looking for abortion services. Women’s Health Clinic wants people to be able to make choices that are right for them and this app is a tool that can help them make an informed decision.