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Claims in the clinic: A qualitative group interview study on healthcare communication about unestablished side effects of the copper IUD
Department of Social Work, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden; Unit for Social Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3186-9054
Örebro University, School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7766-8696
2023 (English)In: PLOS ONE, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 18, no 9, article id e0291966Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Lay online communication about health-related issues has in recent years largely been associated with the spread of misinformation and decreased trust in healthcare. Such communication has included claims about systemic side effects of the copper IUD. In Sweden, a social media group centered on this issue now gathers around 8,700 members. This study aimed to use the case of reported yet unestablished side effects of the copper IUD to investigate experiences of and reasoning about healthcare encounters between caregivers and patients contesting established medical knowledge.

Methods: We conducted qualitative, semi-structured, digital group interviews with members of the social media group (seven groups, n = 23) and with midwives and gynecologists (six groups, n = 15). We also gathered essays written by social media group members (n = 23). The material was analyzed thematically.

Results: The participant accounts pointed towards tensions related to principles of evidence-based medicine, i.e., perceived insufficiency of research on the safety of the copper IUD and lack of clarity in routines for reporting and following up suspected side effects, and of patient-centered care, i.e., listening respectfully to patients. Tension between caregivers’ obligation to adhere to evidence-based medicine while also providing patient-centered care was noted.

Conclusion. Healthcare providers’ efforts to assess and address patient claims contesting established medical knowledge should include ensuring and communicating sufficient research, clarifying procedures for reporting suspected side effects, and improving person-centered care. This can increase the quality of care while contributing to the mitigation of distrust in healthcare and the spreading of health-related misinformation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2023. Vol. 18, no 9, article id e0291966
Keywords [en]
contraception, copper intrauterine device, copper IUD, epistemic injustice, person centred care, reproductive health
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Research subject
Gender Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-108614DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291966ISI: 001078533700021PubMedID: 37768919Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85173255912OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-108614DiVA, id: diva2:1801122
Funder
Forte, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, 2018-00951Available from: 2023-09-29 Created: 2023-09-29 Last updated: 2023-10-31Bibliographically approved

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Gunnarsson, Lena

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