Abstract
Objective:
The objective of this study was to examine parent-reported experiences in the health care system after receiving the prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18 and to identify factors that contribute to satisfaction with care.
Study Design:
Nineteen families who received the diagnosis between 2002 and 2005 were given semistructured telephone interviews. Of the 19 families, 11 continued the pregnancy while the remaining 8 chose induced abortion. Classical content analysis was utilized to identify themes among subject responses.
Result:
We identified several specific aspects of care as key in either being highly satisfied or dissatisfied: expressions of empathy from provider, continuity of care, communication, valuing the fetus and participation in medical decision-making.
Conclusions:
Aspects of care that were identified as reasons for dissatisfaction are potentially modifiable by training, education or team-based approaches. Further studies are necessary to determine how we can improve the quality of services during prenatal diagnosis.
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Walker, L., Miller, V. & Dalton, V. The health-care experiences of families given the prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18. J Perinatol 28, 12–19 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211860
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211860
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