title: Evaluation of the introduction of a new treatment for the termination of pregnancy in The Netherlands.
abstract: All hospital-based gynecologists in The Netherlands were sent a questionnaire on the termination of pregnancy with off-label drugs in the absence of treatment protocols. Response was received from 93.2% of the teaching hospitals and 87.9% of the non-teaching hospitals, thus representing practice of nearly all gynecologists working in The Netherlands. More than 40 different regimens were used for five different indications. Gynecologists embarked on a large number of different regimens of which a distressing number do not have any merits to be found in studies or guidelines illustrating that, without clear protocols or guidelines, the implementation of new medical treatments is potential haphazard and based on personal preference. Suboptimal treatment regimens will frustrate patients and doctors and deprive future patients from the most efficacious and patient friendly treatment regimes available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zaans Medical Center, Zaandam, The Netherlands. brouns.j@zaansmc.nl
authors.forename: Joseph F G M
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Brouns
authors.forename: Matthe P M
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: Wim J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: van Wijngaarden
mesh_terms: D000019:Abortifacient Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D000030:Abortion, Missed / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009426:Netherlands; D009774:Obstetrics; D056687:Off-Label Use; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D011292:Premedication; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014619:Vacuum Curettage
chemical_list: D000019:Abortifacient Agents; D016595:Misoprostol; D015735:Mifepristone