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Carlisle N, Care A, Anumba DOC, Dalkin S, Sandall J, Shennan AH. How are hospitals in England caring for women at risk of preterm birth in 2021? The influence of national guidance on preterm birth care in England: a national questionnaire. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:47. [PMID: 36670432 PMCID: PMC9854090 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-05388-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND National guidance (Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle Version 2 (SBLCBv2) Element 5) was published in 2019, with the aim to standardise preterm care in England. We plan to identify how many preterm birth surveillance clinics there are in England, and to define current national management in caring for women who are both asymptomatic and high-risk of preterm birth, and who arrive symptomatically in threatened preterm labour, to assist preterm management both nationally and internationally. METHODS An online survey comprising of 27 questions was sent to all maternity units in England between February 2021 to July 2021. RESULTS Data was obtained from 96 units. Quantitative analysis and free text analysis was then undertaken. We identified 78 preterm birth surveillance clinics in England, an increase from 30 preterm clinics in 2017. This is a staggering 160% increase in 4 years. SBLCBv2 has had a considerable impact in increasing preterm birth surveillance clinic services, with the majority (61%) of sites reporting that the NHS England publication influenced their unit in setting up their clinic. Variations exist at every step of the preterm pathway, such as deciding which risk factors warrant referral, distinguishing within particular risk factors, and offering screening tests and treatment options. CONCLUSIONS While variations in care still do persist, hospitals have done well to increase preterm surveillance clinics, under the difficult circumstances of the COVID pandemic and many without specific additional funding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Carlisle
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Women and Children’s Health, The School of Life Course & Population Sciences, King’s College London, 10th Floor North Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH UK
| | - Angharad Care
- grid.415996.60000 0004 0400 683XCentre for Women and Children’s Health Research, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - Dilly O. C. Anumba
- grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Sonia Dalkin
- grid.42629.3b0000000121965555Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jane Sandall
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Women and Children’s Health, The School of Life Course & Population Sciences, King’s College London, 10th Floor North Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH UK
| | - Andrew H. Shennan
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Women and Children’s Health, The School of Life Course & Population Sciences, King’s College London, 10th Floor North Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH UK
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Stern V, Jones GL, Senbeto S, Anumba D. The acceptability of cervical electrical impedance spectroscopy within a multi-modal preterm birth screening package: a mixed methods study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022; 22:959. [PMID: 36550429 PMCID: PMC9783720 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-05202-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reducing the rate of preterm birth is a cornerstone of global efforts to address child mortality, however existing screening tests offer imperfect prediction. Cervical electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a novel technique to quantify the ripening changes which precede labour. Mid-trimester EIS measurements have been shown to accurately predict preterm birth in asymptomatic women. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the acceptability of cervical EIS to low and high-risk women as part of a package of screening tests performed during a larger prospective trial. METHODS In this parallel convergent mixed methods study, 40 women completed questionnaires before and after screening tests (EIS, cervical length measurement and fetal fibronectin quantification). Quantitative outcomes were anxiety levels before and after screening (Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI-6), pain (Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire) and ratings of EIS device appearance and test acceptability (visual analogue scales). Twenty-one women (11 high-risk, 10 low-risk) also attended a semi-structured qualitative interview. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, then thematic analysis was performed. A convergence coding matrix was constructed to enable triangulation of quantitative and qualitative results. RESULTS High risk women demonstrated a significant reduction in anxiety following screening (mean STAI-6 score 34.5 vs. 29.0, p = 0.002). A similar trend was observed among low-risk participants. Ratings of pain, EIS device appearance and procedural acceptability did not differ between groups. Mean pain ratings were low (visual analogue scale 0.97 and 1.01), comparing favourably to published evaluations of conventional screening tests. Qualitative analysis provided insight into both the physical consequences and emotional experiences of screening. Additional determinants of the screening experience included device design, pre-existing perspectives on intimate examination, attitudes to knowledge in pregnancy and interaction with clinical staff. Finally, a range of practical considerations regarding wider use of EIS were identified, with valuable complementary detail regarding acceptability for use in antenatal care. CONCLUSIONS Cervical EIS is well tolerated and acceptable to both low and high-risk women when performed as part of a multi-modal screening package. These results provide useful insights to inform the design of future study and screening protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Stern
- grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Georgina L. Jones
- grid.10346.300000 0001 0745 8880School of Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
| | - Sarah Senbeto
- grid.31410.370000 0000 9422 8284Jessop Wing, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Dilly Anumba
- grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Carlisle N, Watson HA, Carter J, Kuhrt K, Seed PT, Tribe RM, Sandall J, Shennan AH. Clinicians' experiences of using and implementing a medical mobile phone app (QUiPP V2) designed to predict the risk of preterm birth and aid clinical decision making. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2021; 21:320. [PMID: 34794405 PMCID: PMC8600728 DOI: 10.1186/s12911-021-01681-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As the vast majority of women who present in threatened preterm labour (TPTL) will not deliver early, clinicians need to balance the risks of over-medicalising the majority of women, against the potential risk of preterm delivery for those discharged home. The QUiPP app is a free, validated app which can support clinical decision-making as it produces individualised risks of delivery within relevant timeframes. Recent evidence has highlighted that clinicians would welcome a decision-support tool that accurately predicts preterm birth. Methods Qualitative interviews were undertaken as part of the EQUIPTT study (The Evaluation of the QUiPP app for Triage and Transfer) (REC: 17/LO/1802) which aimed to evaluate the impact of the QUiPP app on management of TPTL. Individual semi-structured telephone interviews were used to explore clinicians’ (obstetricians’ and midwives’) experiences of using the QUiPP app and how it was implemented at their hospital sites. Thematic analysis was chosen to explore the meaning of the data, through a framework approach. Results Nineteen participants from 10 hospital sites in England took part. Data analysis revealed three overarching themes which were: ‘experience of using the app’, ‘how QUiPP risk changes practice’ and ‘successfully adopting QUiPP: context is everything’. With these final themes we appeared to have achieved our aim of exploring the clinicians’ experiences of using and implementing the QUiPP app. Conclusion This study explored different clinician’s experiences of implementing the app. The organizational and cultural context at different sites appeared to have a large impact on how well the QUiPP app was implemented. Future work needs to be undertaken to understand how best to embed the intervention within different settings. This will inform scale up of QUiPP app use across the UK and ensure that clinicians have access to this free, easy-to-use tool which can positively aid clinical decision making when caring for women in TPTL. Clinical trial registry and registration number ISRCTN 17846337, registered 08th January 2018, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN17846337.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Carlisle
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, 10th Floor North Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
| | - H A Watson
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, 10th Floor North Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
| | - J Carter
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, 10th Floor North Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - K Kuhrt
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, 10th Floor North Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - P T Seed
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, 10th Floor North Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - R M Tribe
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, 10th Floor North Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - J Sandall
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, 10th Floor North Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - A H Shennan
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, 10th Floor North Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK
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