Browsing by Subject "TOLAC"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Evaluating Shared Decision Making in Trial of Labor After Cesarean Counseling Using Objective Structured Clinical Examinations
    (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2020) Tucker Edmonds, Brownsyne; Hoffman, Shelley M.; Laitano, Tatiana; McKenzie, Fatima; Panoch, Janet; Litwiller, Abigail; Di Corcia, Mark J.; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    Introduction Although shared decision making (SDM) is optimal for trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) counseling, resources to assess residents' clinical competency and communication skills are lacking. We addressed this gap by developing and testing an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to evaluate whether learners were able to use SDM in TOLAC counseling. Methods We created three simulation scenarios with increasing complexity to assess the skills of residents in their first, second, or third postgraduate year in using SDM in TOLAC counseling. All cases involved a standardized patient requesting a TOLAC consultation. Residents were provided with a medical history and instructed to counsel and develop a care plan. A 10-item scoring rubric was used, and each item was rated 0 (absent), 1 (partial), or 2 (complete). Three coders independently rated the encounters; discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results Over 3 years, 39 residents participated in 60 OSCE encounters. The majority provided complete discussions of the clinical issue (93%), chances of success (72%), and maternal and fetal risks (100% and 85%, respectively) but obtained partial assessments of understanding (78%). Discussions of benefits were typically absent, with the exception of the maternal benefits (47%). More than 40% of residents did not discuss the patient's goals, 53% lacked discussion of uncertainties related to TOLAC, and half failed to explore the patient's preference, with most deferring a decision to a future encounter. Discussion Residents consistently discussed diagnosis, prognosis, and maternal risks yet infrequently addressed goals and preferences—two critical elements of SDM.
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    Examining the Impact of the Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Risk Calculator Estimation on Trial of Labor After Cesarean Counseling
    (Sage, 2019-05-27) Jeffries, Erin; Falcone-Wharton, Amy; Daggy, Joanne; Edmonds, Brownsyne Tucker; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    Background. Because failed trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) is associated with greater morbidity than planned cesarean, it is important to distinguish women with a high likelihood of successful vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) from those likely to fail. The VBAC Calculator may help make this distinction but little is known about how often providers use it; nor whether use improves risk estimation and/or influences TOLAC counseling. Methods. In a cross-sectional survey, a convenience sample of obstetrical providers reported their likelihood (4-point Likert-type scale) to “Recommend,”“Offer,” or “Agree to” TOLAC for patients presented first through five clinical vignettes; then, in different order, by corresponding VBAC calculator estimates. Results. Of the 85 (of 101, 84% response rate) participants, 88% routinely performed TOLAC, but only 21% used the Calculator. The majority (67.1% to 89.3%) overestimated the likelihood of success for all but one vignette (which had the highest estimate of success). Most providers (42% to 89%) recommended TOLAC for all five vignettes. Given calculated estimates, the majority of providers (67% to 95%) recommended TOLAC for success estimates exceeding 40%. For estimates between 20% and 40%, most providers offered (58%) or agreed (68%) to TOLAC; and even below 20%, over half still agreed to TOLAC. The vignette with the lowest estimate of success (18.7%) had the weakest intraprovider agreement (kappa = 0.116; confidence interval [CI] = 0.045–0.187), whereas the strongest agreement was found in the two vignettes with highest success estimates: 77.9% (kappa = 0.549; CI = 0.382–0.716) and 96.6% (kappa = 0.527; CI = 0.284–0.770). Limitations. Survey responses may not reflect actual practice patterns. Conclusion. Providers are overly optimistic in their clinical estimation of VBAC success. Wider use of decision support could aid in risk stratification and TOLAC counseling to reduce patient morbidity.
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    Prediction of uterine rupture in singleton pregnancies with one prior cesarean birth undergoing TOLAC: A cross‐sectional study
    (Wiley, 2025) Arkerson, Brittany J.; Muraca, Giulia M.; Thakur, Nisha; Javinani, Ali; Khalil, Asma; D'Souza, Rohan; Mustafa, Hiba J.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Being able to counsel patients with one prior cesarean birth on the risk of uterine rupture with a trial of labor after cesarean, (TOLAC) is an important aspect of prenatal care. Despite uterine rupture being a catastrophic event, there is currently no successful, validated prediction model to predict its occurrence. Material and methods: This was a cross-sectional study using US national birth data between 2014 and 2021. The primary objective was to identify risk factors for uterine rupture during TOLAC and to generate a prediction model for uterine rupture among singleton gestations with one prior cesarean as their only prior birth. The secondary objective was to describe the maternal and neonatal morbidity associated with uterine rupture. The association of all candidate variables with uterine rupture was tested with uni- and multi-variable logistic regression analyses. We included term and preterm singleton pregnancies with one prior birth that was cesarean birth (CB) with cephalic presentation undergoing TOLAC. We excluded pregnancies with major structural anomalies and chromosomal abnormalities. The Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) Curve was generated. p value <0.001 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 270 329 singleton pregnancies with one prior CB undergoing TOLAC during the study period, there were 957 cases of uterine rupture (3.54 cases per 1000). Factors associated with uterine rupture in multivariable models were an interpregnancy interval < 18 months vs the reference interval of 24-35 months (aOR 1.55; 95% CI, 1.19-2.02), induction of labor (aOR 2.31; 95% CI, 2.01-2.65), and augmentation of labor (aOR 1.94; 95% CI, 1.70-2.21). Factors associated with reduced rates of uterine rupture were maternal age < 20 years (aOR 0.33, 95% CI 0.15-0.74) and 20-24 years (aOR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64-0.97) vs the reference of 25-29 years and gestational age at delivery 32-36 weeks vs the reference of 37-41 weeks (aOR 0.55, 95% CI 0.38-0.79). Incorporating these factors into a predictive model for uterine rupture yielded an area under the receiver-operating curve of 0.66. Additionally, all analyzed maternal and neonatal morbidities were increased in the setting of uterine rupture compared to non-rupture.