Self-reported safety belt use among emergency department patients in Boston, Massachusetts.

Background: Safety belt use is 80% nationally, yet only 63% in Massachusetts. Safety belt use among potentially at-risk groups in Boston is unknown. We sought to assess the prevalence and correlates of belt non-use among emergency department (ED) patients in Boston.

Availability of emergency contraception in Massachusetts emergency departments.

Objectives: To determine the availability of emergency contraception (EC) in Massachusetts emergency departments (EDs) and to identify patient, hospital, and system factors that could affect access to EC.

Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study of all Massachusetts EDs using two structured scenarios: one, a patient asking for EC for condom failure (patient scenario); and the other, a social worker asking about EC for a client who was sexually assaulted the night before (social worker scenario). Calls were made during day and night shifts requesting information from a nurse or doctor.