Risk for cardiovascular disease after pre-eclampsia: differences in Canadian women and healthcare provider perspectives on knowledge sharing

ABSTRACT

A research-to-practice gap was identified in a study on knowledge sharing regarding future cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk associated with a previous diagnosis of pre-eclampsia (PE) during pregnancy, where 41% of healthcare practitioners did not inform patients of increased risk more than 50% of the time. Employing an empirical, sociological lens, we conducted interviews with women and healthcare providers from the same sample as that study. In this article, we analyse participants’ perceptions of and attitudes towards the relationship between PE and CVD risk, assessing how relationships between research findings, risk, pregnancy, and women’s health are understood and acted upon in Canadian healthcare. Relating empirical observations to larger debates surrounding knowledge sharing practices, we argue that structural, practical, and ideological barriers impede knowledge sharing between healthcare practitioners and patients. Patient perceptions and experiences of the knowledge sharing gap must be addressed in practical and structural changes to healthcare.

KEYWORDS:

• Women’s health
• pre-eclampsia
• cardiovascular disease
• risk
• research-to-practice gaps

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Presidential Fund [grant number 421-2007-1007].