Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2017;39(10):552-559
Resident doctors usually face the task to communicate bad news in perinatology without any formal training. The impact on parents can be disastrous. The objective of this paper is to analyze the perception of residents regarding a training program in communicating bad news in perinatology based on video reviews and setting, perception, invitation, knowledge, emotion, and summary (SPIKES) strategy.
We performed the analysis of complementary data collected from participants in a randomized controlled intervention study to evaluate the efficacy of a training program on improving residents’ skills to communicate bad news. Data were collected using a Likert scale. Through a thematic content analysis we tried to to apprehend the meanings, feelings and experiences expressed by resident doctors in their comments as a response to an open-ended question. Half of the group received training, consisting of discussions of video reviews of participants’ simulated encounters communicating a perinatal loss to a “mother” based on the SPIKES strategy. We also offered training sessions to the control group after they completed participation. Twenty-eight residents who were randomized to intervention and 16 from the control group received training. Twenty written comments were analyzed.
The majority of the residents evaluated training highly as an education activity to help increase knowledge, ability and understanding about breaking bad news in perinatology. Three big categories emerged fromresidents’ comments: SPIKES training effects; bad news communication in medical training; and doctors’ feelings and relationship with patients.
Residents took SPIKES training as a guide to systematize the communication of bad news and to amplify perceptions of the emotional needs of the patients. They suggested the insertion of a similar training in their residency programs curricula.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2010;32(11):563-569
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032010001100008
PURPOSE: to evaluate the evolution of adequacy of the care process among pregnant users of the Brazilian Single Health System (SUS, acronym in Portuguese) and to consolidate a methodology for monitoring the prenatal care. METHODS: this is a multiple time series study with auditing of prenatal cards of pregnant women who were attended for prenatal care in a city of the Brazilian Southeast (Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais) in the initial semesters of 2002 and 2004 (370 and 1,200 cards, respectively) and gave birth using SUS services in term pregnancies (p < 0.05). A three complementary level sequence was respected: utilization of prenatal care (beginning and number of visits) at level 1; utilization of prenatal care and obligatory clinical-obstetric procedures during prenatal visits (assessment of blood pressure (BP), weight, uterine fundal height (FH), gestational age (GA), fetal heart rate (FHR) and fetal presentation) at level 2; and utilization of prenatal care, obligatory clinical-obstetric procedures and basic laboratory tests, according to the Humanization Program of Prenatal Care and Birth (PHPN, acronym in Portuguese) (ABO/Rh, hemoglobin/hematocrit (Hb/Htc), VDRL, glycemia and urinalisys) at level 3. RESULTS: it was confirmed the high prenatal care coverage (99%), the increased mean number of visits per pregnant woman (6.4 versus 7.2%) and the decreased gestational age at the time of the first visit (17.4 versus 15.7 weeks). The proper registration of procedures and exams (exceptions: fetal presentation and blood typing) has significantly increased: BP (77.8 versus 83.9%); weight (75.4 versus 83.5%); FH (72.7 versus 81.3%); GA (58.1 versus 71.5%); FHR (79.5 versus 86.7%); Hb/Htc (14.9 versus 29%), VDRL (11.1 versus 20.7%), glycemia (16.5 versus 29%) and urinalisys (13.8 versus 29.8%). As a result, there was significant (p < 0.001) improvement of the adequacy between 2002 and 2004: 27.6 versus 44.8% (level 1); 7.8 versus 15.4% (level 2); 1.1 versus 4.5% (level 3). This trend was also noted in care provided by the majority of the municipal services/teams. CONCLUSIONS: the persistence of low adequacy, despite good coverage and PHPN implementation, confirmed the need to increase health managers, professionals and users' compliance with the rules and routines of care, including the institutionalization of a monitoring program of prenatal care.