Satisfaction with medical information in women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

Leeners, Brigitte; Rath, Werner; Kuse, Sabine; Neises, Mechthild; Neumaier-Wagner, Peruka

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.06.072

« Previous Next »Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Volume 60, Issue 1 , Pages 39-44, January 2006

Satisfaction with medical information in women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

Brigitte Leeners
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Aachen, Germany
- Corresponding author. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Zürich, Frauenklinikstr. 10, Zürich CH 8091, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 01 255 50 01; fax: +41 01 255 43 76
Werner Rath
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Aachen, Germany
Sabine Kuse
- German Pre-eclampsia Self-help Group, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gestose-Frauen e.V., Germany
Mechthild Neises
- Department of Psychosomatic Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Hannover, Germany
Peruka Neumaier-Wagner
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Aachen, Germany

Received 30 January 2005; received in revised form 27 June 2005; accepted 28 June 2005.

Abstract

Objective

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) are a major cause of maternal death and fetal prematurity. The purpose of this study was to examine HDP patients' reported satisfaction with the medical information provided by their health care providers.

Methods

A convenient sample of N=620 patients with a diagnosis of HDP within 24 months prior to the study period completed a self-administered questionnaire dealing with the medical information received and their reported satisfaction. Chi-square, Fisher's Exact, and Student's t tests were used to determine the differences in sociodemographic data and potential confounders between HDP patients who were satisfied and dissatisfied with medical information.

Results

Of the women, 68.6% were not satisfied with the medical information. Women were particularly dissatisfied when they suffered from preeclampsia (PE), were informed of their actual situation, including eventual consequences only after delivery, and in case of fetal disorders resulting from HDP.

Conclusion

Based on the background information reported on the importance of medical information to the patient, women developing HDP should be informed of their disease and potential sequelae as early and as differentiated as possible. Doctors need to be convinced of the role of the provider in counseling women with HDP. Information has to be repeated and health care providers are supposed to check whether the women understood the information received.

Keywords: Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, Preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, Communication, Medical counseling, Medical information