Patient Preferences and Expectations in Analgesia for First Trimester Surgical Abortion

Chloé Sharp; Sharla Biefeld; Rameet H. Singh; Lily Bayat

doi:10.29333/ajqr/15161

Chloé Sharp ¹ ^* , Sharla Biefeld ², Rameet H. Singh ¹, Lily Bayat ¹

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AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 44-61

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15161

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Abstract

A central component of a patient’s abortion experience is pain perception and optimization of pain management choices. Yet, data on patients’ experience of pain and their preferences regarding pain strategies are limited and tend to utilize solely quantitative data. This study utilized a qualitative thematic analysis to identify patient priorities, preferences, and expectations for pain management during first-trimester surgical abortion with nitrous oxide or oral sedation. Thirty-one patients seeking a first-trimester surgical abortion, self-selecting inhaled nitrous oxide (NO) (16 patients), or oral sedation (PO) with oxycodone and Ativan (15 patients) enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Participants provided demographic data, rated procedure pain on a 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS), and participated in semi-structured interviews. We analyzed qualitative data using a content analysis approach. Pre-procedure participants wanted a positive experience. Participants endorsed an ideal analgesic as having a quick onset of action, minimal side effects, no addiction potential, and being effective at reducing pain. After the procedure, there we start differences between priorities in NO and PO participants. NO participants valued the resumption of everyday activities, while PO participants desired ongoing anxiolysis. Anticipatory counseling often mitigated higher procedure pain and more medication side effects than anticipated. Participants emphasized that positive interactions with providers/staff significantly improved their abortion experience. Preemptive comprehensive counseling about procedure and analgesic effectiveness, along with providing options for analgesia, will facilitate an affirmative and patient-centered abortion experience.

Keywords: Nitrous oxide, pain management, patient expectations, patient preferences, surgical abortion

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Citation

Sharp, C., Biefeld, S., Singh, R. H., & Bayat, L. (2024). Patient Preferences and Expectations in Analgesia for First Trimester Surgical Abortion. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(4), 44-61. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15161

Sharp, C., Biefeld, S., Singh, R. H., and Bayat, L. (2024). Patient Preferences and Expectations in Analgesia for First Trimester Surgical Abortion. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(4), pp. 44-61. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15161

Sharp C, Biefeld S, Singh RH, Bayat L. Patient Preferences and Expectations in Analgesia for First Trimester Surgical Abortion. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2024;8(4), 44-61. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15161

Sharp, Chloé, Sharla Biefeld, Rameet H. Singh, and Lily Bayat. "Patient Preferences and Expectations in Analgesia for First Trimester Surgical Abortion". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2024 8 no. 4 (2024): 44-61. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15161

Sharp, Chloé et al. "Patient Preferences and Expectations in Analgesia for First Trimester Surgical Abortion". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 8, no. 4, 2024, pp. 44-61. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15161

Sharp C, Biefeld S, Singh RH, Bayat L. Patient Preferences and Expectations in Analgesia for First Trimester Surgical Abortion. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2024;8(4):44-61. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15161