title: Women's perspectives of the fetal fibronectin testing process: a qualitative descriptive study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2009 the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care funded the implementation of province-wide fetal fibronectin testing in Ontario hospitals. This paper reports results from the provincial evaluation that sought to describe the experience of fetal fibronectin testing from the perspective of women with symptoms of preterm labour.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive qualitative design was used, employing semi-structured telephone and face-to-face interviews with women who had fetal fibronectin testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hospitals participated in recruiting women for the study and 17 women were interviewed. Women described their experiences of fetal fibronectin testing as an emotional process that moves from expecting, to feeling, to hoping for reassurance; and then to re-defining what is required to feel reassured. Women described feeling anxious while waiting for fetal fibronectin results. When test results were negative, women described feeling a sense of relief that their symptoms would not likely lead to an imminent preterm birth. Women with positive results expressed feeling reassured by the care decisions and quick action taken by the health care team.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fetal fibronectin testing was acceptable and beneficial to these women with symptoms of preterm labour. Implications for practice and future research are suggested.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Room 1118 F, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada. wendy.peterson@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: Wendy E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sprague
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reszel
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Deshayne B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Fell
authors.forename: Sherry L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Sandra I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Moya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D009864:Ontario; D011247:Pregnancy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D035502:Trust; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins