Gap Between Miscarriage Care Guidelines and Patient Experience

Surprising finding: Despite existing practice recommendations for miscarriage care, patients frequently report negative experiences when receiving treatment.

A scoping review of 41 studies from 1,812 publications examined how well clinical practice guidelines match what people actually experience during miscarriage care. Researchers found consistent dissatisfaction across multiple dimensions: care settings and accessibility, information provision, emotional support, decision-making processes, and follow-up care. While practice recommendations generally address these concerns and emphasize patient-centered approaches with shared decision-making, the widespread negative experiences suggest a significant implementation gap. The findings highlight that having guidelines isn’t enough—healthcare systems need to better understand barriers preventing these recommendations from reaching patients. Future research should focus on communities facing the greatest care barriers and identify what truly constitutes high-quality miscarriage care from patients’ perspectives.

Source: PMID 38588848 (Contraception, 2024)