Written information may not improve factual recall after verbal counseling of mothers in premature labor – a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Prenatal consultation is an integral step in the care of women at high risk for preterm delivery. Aims: To examine whether the provision of written information regarding prematurity would improve factual recall and satisfaction following prenatal consultation. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of expectant mothers from 22 to 30 weeks gestational age. Eligible women received routine verbal prenatal consultation prior to enrollment and randomization. Women in the control group received written information about breast feeding. Women in the intervention group received additional written information about prematurity. Later, a survey was administered to elicit their factual recall and satisfaction. Results: A total of 32 women completed the survey. There was no significant difference in mean factual recall score between both groups (control 76%; intervention 71%; P = 0.45) nor in patients' satisfaction (control 4.31; intervention 4.18; P = 0.71). Conclusions: Providing written information about prematurity to mothers in preterm delivery did not improve their factual recall or satisfaction. This suggests that written information may not have added value to verbal communication in delivering key information to women overwhelmed by the stress of preterm labor. The wide range of individual performance on the factual recall test indicates that some women in preterm labor may not be adequately informed by the prenatal consultation, despite their high level of satisfaction.