TOPFA: Service Provision, Preferences and Experiences.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Anomaly: How are services provided and how does this relate to women’s preferences and experiences?
IRAS ID
328321
Contact name
S.C. Robson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 0 days
Research summary
This qualitative interview study will be conducted to gain an understanding of the experiences of women and families undergoing termination of pregnancy under category E of the Abortion Act 1967. The research will particularly focus on their experiences of choosing and accessing their preferred method of abortion (surgical versus medical).
The aims of the research will be to explore, describe and understand the experiences, preferences, and choices of women (+/- their partners) undergoing TOPFA in two regions; one where medical and surgical options are freely available and one where there is no local access to surgical TOPFA. Participants will be interviewed within 6 months of the procedure via telephone or video call. Interviews will be semi-structured so participants will be free to discuss issues of importance to them. The interview data will be anonymised then analysed using a recognised qualitative research analysis technique to identify common themes and concepts.
To ensure that this study is conducted sensitively and covers areas of relevance to patients, it has been designed in consultation with 13 women with relevant experience. The results of this research will contribute to a larger mixed methods project that will explore the concept of quality and equality in choice of method of TOPFA in England & Wales. The larger project aims to explore how unequal regional provision of surgical TOPFA impacts on women’s experiences and choices and their ability to access their preferred method of TOPFA.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NE/0171
Date of REC Opinion
21 Sep 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion