More than half of women unaware of preeclampsia before diagnosis

(HealthDay)—A large proportion of women report being unaware of preeclampsia and its symptoms prior to diagnosis, according to a study published online March 3 in BMJ Open.

Rianne C. Bijl, M.D., from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and colleagues examined patient-reported experience measures for preeclampsia-complicated pregnancies. The analysis included 833 survey responders.

The researchers found that 73.9 percent of participants were aware of preeclampsia before diagnosis, but only 43.7 percent were aware of its associated symptoms. Over time, there was an increase in the proportion of women who were aware of preeclampsia symptoms (32.2 percent before 2011 to 52.5 percent after 2016). Nearly one in three women (29.2 percent) reported that around the time of diagnosis, they did not feel involved in the decision-making, which was associated with reporting a serious mental and emotional impact of the preeclampsia experience (odds ratio, 2.46). Over time, there was an increase observed in the proportion of women stating they received counseling about the subsequent health risks associated with preeclampsia (14.2 percent before 2011 to 25.6 percent after 2016).

"By providing a comprehensive insight into the patient journey before, during and after a preeclampsia pregnancy, this study adds to a growing body of literature establishing the importance of a patient-centered approach to health care," the authors write.

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