Education does not improve patient perception of preterm uterine contractility.
In this prospective study, we sought to compare pregnant women's self-perception of their preterm uterine contractility versus electronically obtained data and to evaluate the impact of intensive patient education on increasing awareness of the presence of uterine contractions. Thirty-eight women each monitored their uterine activity at home for two 60-minute periods daily during a 21-day sequence. An event marker was used to document perceived contractions and after a 3-day baseline interval, an intensive nursing-service educational intervention was initiated for all subjects. Thirty-five percent of women underreported uterine contractions, whereas only 5% overreported their uterine activity during the study. Derived patient scores of underreporting and overreporting of contractions did not vary among seven consecutive 3-day study intervals. Analysis of the data revealed that patients perceived fewer than 10% of all contractions documented electronically. No improvement in the reliability of patient perception of preterm uterine contractility was obtained after the educational intervention.
Brustman
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
Langer
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O
Anyaegbunam
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A
Belle
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C
Merkatz
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IR
D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D010173:Palpation; D010298:Parity; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012648:Self Care; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000502:physiology*