title: Pregnant women's view on the Swedish internet resource Drugs and Birth Defects intended for health care professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregnant women often have questions concerning fetal effects of drugs but there is limited reliable information specifically intended for them. This study investigated how pregnant women perceive and value the scientific resource Drugs and Birth Defects (www.janusinfo.se/fosterpaverkan) and compared their opinions with those of health care professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic questionnaire study. Pregnant women were recruited at their regular visits, and health care professionals via e-mail, at 10 antenatal clinics. Altogether, 275 pregnant women, 38 midwives and 30 physicians participated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the pregnant women, 81% found the information valuable, 70% that it was easy to understand, and 92% that it strengthened information from the staff. Concerning anxiety for negative fetal effects, 68% of the women answered that the anxiety decreased or was not influenced by the texts and 22% that it increased. Among physicians and midwives, 44% saw risks associated with pregnant women reading the texts and 24% answered that they would fully recommend them to use the database. The corresponding figures among pregnant women were 17 and 65%, respectively (P < 0.001). The professionals preferred, to a greater extent than pregnant women did, lay people to use a special edition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of pregnant women seem to benefit from using a scientific resource on fetal impact of drugs intended for health care professionals. Some women are more worried after having read the information, but most of them still find it valuable. It is important that pregnant women who use the database can reach a medical professional to discuss the contents.
authors.affiliation: Department of E-health and Strategic IT, Health and Medical Care Administration, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.|Center for Reproductive Epidemiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0396-5986
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nörby
authors.affiliation: Center for Reproductive Epidemiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Källén
authors.affiliation: Department of E-health and Strategic IT, Health and Medical Care Administration, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shemeikka
authors.affiliation: Department of E-health and Strategic IT, Health and Medical Care Administration, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Seher
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Education, Karolinska Institute, Sachs' Children's and Adolescent's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birger
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winbladh
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Drug therapy; information systems; internet; knowledge bases; patient participation; pregnancy