Critical reflection and prenatal screening public education materials: a metaphoric textual analysis

Abstract

This paper presents a study of prenatal screening educational materials that uses metaphoric textual analysis to critically examine implicit messages in the educational resources. In Canada, the Clinical Practice Guideline on prenatal screening explicitly states that counselling about prenatal screening should be non‐directive, promote choice, and be respectful of the needs and quality of life of people with disabilities. This study examines whether the written public education materials available to Canadian women are consistent with these aims. Findings from the prenatal screening patient education pamphlets are presented, and prominent figurative and metaphoric language identified in the educational resources is highlighted. The discussion considers the ways in which the education pamphlets may communicate subtle messages to women, and offers considerations for the design of non‐directive prenatal screening educational materials. In addition, the discussion considers the ways in which metaphor analysis can foster critical reflection and reveal insights important for the design of educational materials in health care.

Keywords:

• metaphor
• critical reflection
• prenatal screening
• patient education

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the support MV received as a trainee of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Training Program in Reproduction, Early Development and the Impact on Health (REDIH). The authors are also grateful to Jeff Nisker and Pamela McKenzie for sharing expertise relevant to this project.

Notes

1. Holloway does not connect this term with traditional Reflective Practice scholarship and related terms, although there is an echo of critical reflection in his description of the purpose and operation of theoretical reflection.