Abstract
Objective
Patient experience is an essential component of quality care. Few studies have comprehensively
evaluated patient experiences of abortion care. The objectives of this study were
to describe women's experiences of abortion care in their own words, and to determine
themes across patient experiences.
Study Design
Data for this thematic analysis, a qualitative method that allows for the identification,
analysis, and report of patterns or themes within data, come from a larger study of
safety and quality of aspiration abortion care across 22 clinical sites. Participants
completed an abortion experience survey including fixed choice questions and an open-ended
question: “Is there anything you would like to tell us about your experience?” The
data were then categorized by responses to another survey question: “Overall, was
your experience about, better, or worse than you expected?”
Results
A total of 5,214 responses were analyzed. Women reported positive abortion care experiences
with the majority of women rating their experience as better than expected (n = 3,600). Two major themes that emerged from the data include clinic- and patient-level
factors that impact how patients rate their experiences. Analysis of the responses
categorized in the worse than expected group (n = 136) found that women primarily faulted clinic-level factors for their negative
experiences, such as pain control and management, and wait time for appointments and
in clinic.
Conclusion
This analysis highlights specific areas of abortion care that influence patients'
experience. The few women who were disappointed by care in the clinic tended to fault
readily modifiable clinical factors, and provided suggested areas of improvement to
enhance positive experiences related to their abortion care.
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Biography
Monica R. McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN, is an Assistant Professor in the Family Health Care Nursing Department and a Research Scientist at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, both at the University of California, San Francisco.
Biography
Sheila Desai, MPH, was the Research and Evaluation Manager for the Health Workforce Pilot Project at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco.
Biography
Lori Freedman, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and a Medical Sociologist at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, both at the University of California, San Francisco.
Biography
Evelyn Angel James, CNM, WHNP-BC, is a doctoral candidate in the Community Health Systems Nursing Department and a Research Resident at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, both at the University of California, San Francisco.
Biography
Diana Taylor, PhD, RNP, MS, FAAN, is Professor Emerita in the Family Health Care Nursing Department and Director of Research and Evaluation of the Primary Care Initiative at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, both at the University of California, San Francisco.
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
July 3,
2014
Received in revised form:
July 1,
2014
Received:
December 22,
2013
Footnotes
Funding and Conflict of Interest: Funding for this study was provided by grants from private foundations including the John Merck Foundation (A10943), the Educational Foundation of America (04038243), the David & Lucile Packard Foundation (A109955), and the Susan Thompson Buffet Foundation (A107143). In addition, the research was conducted under a legal waiver from the California Health Workforce Pilot Project Program, a division of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
