Abstract
Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is a special radiological procedure used to assess the patency and the structure of the uterus and fallopian tubes. It is provided mostly by hospital radiology departments and can be executed by a radiologist or a gynaecologist. However, it is associated with a few disadvantages, including patient discomfort, exposure to radiation for both patients and personnel, and scarcity of resources. The patients referred for this procedure are more likely to experience elevated distress levels, elevated depression levels, anxiety, pain, and discomfort. Despite the HSG procedure being the most frequent specialised radiological procedure, little information is available regarding patient experience with the procedure. There is currently no study on the experiences of patients referred for the HSG procedure conducted in Pretoria, South Africa.
RESEARCH METHOD
This qualitative exploratory and descriptive study aimed to understand the experiences of patients referred for the HSG procedure in Pretoria, South Africa. The population of this study included all patients referred for the HSG procedure in public and private facilities in Pretoria, South Africa. A purposeful sampling technique was employed to select the sample of patients referred for the HSG procedure. Audiotaped in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect data. The audiotaped interviews underwent verbatim transcription and thematic analysis by the researcher.
OUTCOMES OF THE STUDY
The outcomes of this study indicated that the patients referred for an HSG procedure experienced challenges during the process. Five themes that assisted in revealing the story were developed from the categories, which supplied accurate and deep understanding into participants’ experiences and appropriate information to the achievement of the objectives of this study. The developed themes are the importance of patient education during the HSG procedure, reasons for HSG referral, interactions
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of healthcare providers with patients, challenges encountered during the HSG procedure appointment scheduling, and patients’ opinions about the HSG procedure.
CONCLUSION
The insight gained from the study was that patients referred for the HSG procedure must be prepared for the procedure on the day of consultation to avoid unnecessary cancellation or premature termination of the procedure and, therefore, delayed diagnosis and treatment. This would be made possible with a good patient-provider relationship and would improve patient satisfaction.