학술논문
Breaking Bad News During Prenatal Screening: The Role of Professional Obstetricians and Midwives in Greece.
Document Type
Periodical
Author
Glynou A; Department of Midwifery, Maternity Hospital Elena Venizelou, Athens, GRC.; Galatis DG; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, GRC.; Yalelis V; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternity Hospital Elena Venizelou, Athens, GRC.; Sotiriadis A; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ippokrateio Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GRC.; Pampanos A; Department of Genetics, Alexandra General Hospital, Athens, GRC.; Sarella A; Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Caring Sciences, University of West Attica, Athens, GRC.; Chasalevri E; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hygeia IVF Embryogenesis, Athens, GRC.; Koukaki M; Department of Midwifery, Maternity Hospital Elena Venizelou, Athens, GRC.; Peitsidis PM; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternity Hospital Elena Venizelou, Athens, GRC.; Eleftheriades M; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, GRC.
Source
Publisher: Cureus, Inc Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101596737 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 2168-8184 (Print) Linking ISSN: 21688184 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Cureus Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2168-8184
Abstract
Introduction: Breaking bad news is one of the most difficult responsibilities in medical practice. Although medical staff in clinical practice often encounter situations that necessitate the announcement of unpleasant news, there is a lack of training regarding their communication with patients and their families. Effective interaction between medical staff and pregnant women constitutes a crucial component of breaking down unpleasant news. This research aimed to investigate the knowledge and attitude of health professionals, particularly obstetricians, and midwives, regarding the announcement of bad news during prenatal screening.
Methods: The study was conducted between September 2017 and April 2018. One hundred professional obstetricians and midwives involved in fetal and prenatal medicine in Greece were part of the study. The study consisted of two parts: the first covered the emotional state of healthcare professionals during the announcement of unpleasant news, and the second covered the appropriate way to inform unpleasant results during prenatal testing.
Results: In this study, only 41% of the participants considered that they felt comfortable discussing issues related to the diagnosis of an unpleasant result during prenatal testing with the pregnant woman/patient, or her relatives, and 85% accepted that they had experienced feelings of sadness, anxiety, or guilt when announcing unpleasant results. Furthermore, 87% of the participants believed that the non-verbal communication component (eye contact, body language) plays an important role in breaking bad news. Finally, 65% considered that prolonged monitoring of the ultrasound screen during prenatal screening does not increase the anxiety of pregnant women when carried out for a better medical opinion.
Conclusions: Delivering bad news during prenatal screening creates stress for the parents. As far as the ethical, cultural, psychological, and legal complicity of healthcare professionals is concerned, communicating unpleasant news has been a subject of discussion by many experts. It is important to understand the concerns of women regarding the risks of counseling.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
(Copyright © 2024, Glynou et al.)
Methods: The study was conducted between September 2017 and April 2018. One hundred professional obstetricians and midwives involved in fetal and prenatal medicine in Greece were part of the study. The study consisted of two parts: the first covered the emotional state of healthcare professionals during the announcement of unpleasant news, and the second covered the appropriate way to inform unpleasant results during prenatal testing.
Results: In this study, only 41% of the participants considered that they felt comfortable discussing issues related to the diagnosis of an unpleasant result during prenatal testing with the pregnant woman/patient, or her relatives, and 85% accepted that they had experienced feelings of sadness, anxiety, or guilt when announcing unpleasant results. Furthermore, 87% of the participants believed that the non-verbal communication component (eye contact, body language) plays an important role in breaking bad news. Finally, 65% considered that prolonged monitoring of the ultrasound screen during prenatal screening does not increase the anxiety of pregnant women when carried out for a better medical opinion.
Conclusions: Delivering bad news during prenatal screening creates stress for the parents. As far as the ethical, cultural, psychological, and legal complicity of healthcare professionals is concerned, communicating unpleasant news has been a subject of discussion by many experts. It is important to understand the concerns of women regarding the risks of counseling.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
(Copyright © 2024, Glynou et al.)