Informational needs related to aspirin prophylactic therapy amongst pregnant women at risk of preeclampsia - A qualitative study.

Abstract

Despite being key to reducing the occurrence of pre-eclampsia in high-risk women, adherence to aspirin prophylaxis is low, reflecting multifactorial challenges faced by pregnant women. It is therefore important to understand the barriers and facilitators of aspirin adherence in pregnancy. This sub-analysis of a qualitative study conducted to better understand barriers and facilitators of aspirin adherence was set to describe informational needs related to aspirin use in pregnancy. A qualitative study was conducted with 14 postnatal women from North-East of England, who declared various levels of non-adherence to aspirin (0-5/7 prescribed). A thematic framework analysis of semi-structured interviews was used. Emerging themes associated with informational needs about aspirin use in pregnancy. Main themes identified a) Informational needs, b) Nature of the information seeking behaviour (active vs passive), c) Sources of information, d) Preferred format of information, e) Partners seeking knowledge. Not all women actively seek information; some choose not to pursue it as they find thinking of hypothetical risks disturbing. When information is accessed, women use a wide range of informational resources from scientific articles and National Health Services website to social media sources and word-of-mouth. Women admit that reading leaflets can be difficult, preferring to receive information in interactive ways. Although partners seek information about risks and risk reduction strategies, they are often not included in conversations with health care professionals. New interactive and accessible informational resources are needed to engage pregnant women and their partners in aspirin prophylactic therapy.