Abstract
Objective
This study details the importance of medical professionals accurately explaining a diagnosis of preeclampsia to their patients. Self-report data were compared to medical record data. We examined reporting and recall of infant data and maternal health during pregnancy.
Methods
Reliability between maternal self-report and medical record data was explored in 53 women whose infants had recently been discharged from the nearest Level Three Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Data were collected in a neurodevelopmental follow-up clinic.
Results
Maternal reporting of gestational age and infant birth weight was highly accurate (r = 0.99, p < .0001 and r = 0.95, p < .0001, respectively), even when controlling for indicators of low socioeconomic status; however, maternal reporting of their own medical diagnoses was weak. There was a discrepancy between the medical records and maternal self-report of preeclampsia (k = 0.50).
Conclusions for practice
Medical professionals should reiterate to women at postpartum appointments whether or not they had preeclampsia.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Aurelio José Figueredo for his comments on this manuscript.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 The data analysis for this paper was generated using SAS software (Version 9.4). Copyright © 2002-2012 SAS Institute Inc. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.