title: Trust and confirmation in a gynecologic examination situation: a critical incident technique analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gynecologic examination is a common measure in reproductive health care. Many women experience the examination as a more or less negative event, with shortcomings in the examiner's behavior. The aim of the study was to describe, in terms of critical incidences, women's experiences concerning the personnel's behavior in the situation of gynecologic examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  The informants were strategically chosen and consisted of 30 Swedish women between the ages of 18-82 years old. The data collection method was qualitative research interviews analyzed by critical incident technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The result consisted of 30 subcategories, five categories, and two main areas - trust and confirmation. The personnel enabled trust when they promoted participation, created confidence, and were supportive. The opposite behavior contributed to the lack of trust. Confirmation described behavior that confirmed, respectively, did not confirm the women. This was shown through the presence or lack of respect and engagement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The personnel's positive behavior enabled trust and confirmed the women as individuals, while negative behavior was decisive in an unfavorable way. A complexity of patterns of knowing in nursing was identified. Participation through information that contributed to trust was important and amounted to one fourth of the incidents in the material. Respect and engagement, which confirmed the women, facilitated a positive caring relationship. The examination situation can be improved through reflection of the personnel's own behavior and further research about women's own experiences.
authors.affiliation: The Youth Clinic Halmstad, County Council Halland, Halmstad, Sweden. eva.a.wendt@lthalland.se
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wendt
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fridlund
authors.forename: Evy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lidell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010388:Pelvis; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013548:Sweden; D035502:Trust; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*