title: Views of emergency research (VERA): a qualitative study of women and their partners' views of recruitment to trials in severe postpartum haemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to explore women's and their partners' views of recruitment to emergency trials in severe postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).
  
  
  METHODS
  interview-based qualitative study. In semi-structured in-depth interviews, five recruitment options for a PPH trial in an emergency context were considered.
  
  
  METHODS
  interviews were carried out in participants' homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  nine women who had experienced a severe PPH and six partners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  interviewees rejected three options; decision-making by women prior to delivery, and by partners and legal representatives at the time of the emergency. Preferred options were women making antenatal decisions about trial entry themselves, followed by doctors making decisions at the time of the emergency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  recruitment options involving women and their partners at the time of an emergency were rejected. Antenatal decision-making raises logistical and ethical considerations for emergency trial teams. Further research is needed to address the possibility of antenatal decisions for emergency trials and to develop and assess supportive post-enrolment recruitment and information strategies which take into account the stressful context of clinical emergencies such as PPH.
authors.affiliation: Medical Statistics Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK. claire.snowdon@lshtm.ac.uk
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Snowdon
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elbourne
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forsey
authors.forename: Zarko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Alfirevic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult