Termination of pregnancy: Patients' perceptions of care

Background. Little is known about women's perceptions of care in terminatio n of pregnancy of pregnancy (TOP). Developing an understanding of how care is experienced is crucial to improvements in series. Method. Two hundred and eight women undergoing either a medical or surgical TOP reported on their perspectives of die experience and the care received . A mix questionnaire and open questions analysed by content analysis was u sed. Women reported on the aspects which, were most stressful, helped them to feel more relaxed, were unexpected in some Imv, and also on the provisio n of information and on the quality of staff care. Results. The most stressful aspects for the medical group related to the ph ysical and emotional aspects of the process, whilst for the surgical group it concerned waiting in hospital for the operation. Whilst little was unexp ected for the surgical group. many aspects came as a surprise to the medica l group. Seeing the foetus was particularly difficult, All information prov ided was viewed as helpful, with greater information required about the pha se following termination. Care from staff was rated positively, although ar eas for improvement in terms of opportunity to ask questions and ensuring c oncerns were dealt with were identified. Caring and non-judgemental staff a ttitudes were viewed as particularly important in helping women to feel as relaxed as possible in a potentially stressful situation, Conclusion: Surgical termination schedules should avoid a long waiting time once the woman has been admitted. More adequate preparation is required fo r those having medical termination so that they have realistic expectations of what will happen, including the possibility of seeing the foetus. More attention to information about the time following termination, including po ssible emotional responses, is needed. The importance of positive staff att itudes in the quality of care is emphasised.