Women's Experiences of Second Trimester STOP
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences, expectations, and preferences of women undergoing Dilatation and Evacuation (D&E) for 2nd trimester Surgical Termination of Pregnancy (STOP).
IRAS ID
311485
Contact name
Stephen Robson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NUTH
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
This qualitative interview study will be conducted to gain an understanding of the experiences of women undergoing a surgical termination in the second trimester of pregnancy. The research will particularly focus on the care received prior to surgery which includes cervical priming (a treatment given to prepare the neck of the womb). Cervical priming can be an invasive treatment with a number of side effects that may have a negative impact on women’s experience of their care. Many women undergo this procedure annually yet we have little understanding about their experiences, opinions, and preferences.
The aims of the research will be to explore, describe and understand the experiences of the care provided to women undergoing a second trimester surgical termination of pregnancy (STOP) from a patient’s perspective. We will interview 10-15 women who have recent experience of this procedure at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle (one of the main NHS providers of termination of pregnancy services in England). Participants will be interviewed within 0-7 days of their STOP at a place of their choosing. Specific areas to be explored will include experiences of different attributes of STOP care and outcomes of importance to women. Interviews will be semi-structured so participants will be free to discuss issues of importance to them. The interview data will be anonymised then analysed using a recognised qualitative research analysis technique to identify common themes and concepts.
This work will be conducted as part of a Masters in Clinical Research and is unfunded. To ensure that this study is conducted sensitively and covers areas of relevance to patients, it has been designed in consultation with 22 women with relevant experience. The results of this research will allow us to better design appropriate care pathways and to plan further research focused around patient needs in this area.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EM/0071
Date of REC Opinion
31 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion