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Table 4 Category.- Patient - Healthcare professional interaction

From: Breaking bad news to antenatal patients with strategies to lessen the pain: a qualitative study

Subcategory: profile of the patients

Verbatim

OBST S13 : “Young women, between 16 and 44 years old, generally healthy for pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care. Regarding socio-cultural level, there are all types, from low socio-cultural level to middle and high levels, immigrants, Spanish natives, Asian, European, African ... a multicultural population.”

OBST S8 : “Very heterogeneous due to the variety of races.”

OBST S7 : “Because what I say may lead to the pregnancy being interrupted, it’s necessary to know that not all cultures conceive or face this prospect in the same way.”

Subcategory: reactions to bad news

Verbatim

MID S3 : “At first there is a state of shock, a sense of unreality.”

OBST S3 : “They respond with pain, crying, anguish, suffering, and the feeling of enormous disappointment.”

OBST S8 : “Although the foetus referred to in the bad news is the fruit of two people, the father and the mother, the mother’s response is usually much more emotional, and the role of the father automatically becomes that of consoling the mother.”

Subcategory: demand for information

Verbatim

NASST S6: “Why? What have I done? Is it common? Finding out the cause and trying to determine if they are responsible. Is it something I took? I made an effort (...)”

NASST S5: “(...) Now what? What can be done? What do you suggest? What would you do if it happened to you?”

NUR S1 : “I think a second opinion would be a good idea, but it is very important to know who to ask.”

OBST S4 : “They resort to the internet, but they don’t know how to filter the information and what information has been scientifically proven.”

MID S3 : “In the private sector, they think they are better looked after because they are given more time and attention. Perhaps we should improve things in this area.”

Subcategory: influence of professionals on decision-making

Verbatim

OBST S14 : “(...) you are often recommend what they should do. So, the way we give the news can make their decision go one way or the other.”

NUR S2 : “The lack of social skills hinders the active participation of these patients in decision making.”

OBST S13 : “I try to be as aseptic as possible, to respect their autonomy, giving them the consent form to sign …”

Subcategory: psychosocial support

Verbatim

OBST S10 : “(...) some patients do need it, because they collapse, they go home and for months they feel very bad and don’t know who to turn to.”

MID S2 : “The psychologist should be part of the team, both to help the women and to guide staff, because burnout does happen.”

NUR S3 : “We don’t know what techniques we can use to deal with conflicts that may arise during the clinical relationship.”

Subcategory: influence of technology

Verbatim

OBST S13 : “We spend more time using technology than we do listening, looking into people’s eyes (...)”

NUR S3 : “An excess of technology can dehumanise the attention we provide.”

  1. OBST Obstetrician, MID Midwife, NUR Nurse, NASST Nursing assistant