Understanding and Improving Care for Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS)
Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) substantially impacts a mother’s physical and mental wellbeing. While high-resource countries typically manage PAS at specialized centers with multidisciplinary teams and advanced resources (like expert ultrasound, blood cell rescue, and intensive care), access to this level of care is limited in low- and medium-income countries – despite a possibly higher burden of the condition. Innovative approaches like telehealth and centralized expert care are being explored to improve access in these regions.Women and their families facing PAS experience considerable emotional distress, anxiety, and potential physical complications from surgery.To improve their experience, a family-centered treatment approach has been developed, prioritizing collaboration between patients, families, and healthcare providers in all stages of care – from planning to evaluation.
This approach includes early recognition of both the physical and mental health impacts of PAS,routine referrals to physiotherapy and mental health services,ongoing care from a dedicated multidisciplinary team,and extended follow-up care beyond the standard six weeks.
These recommendations stem from detailed interviews with women and their partners in Ireland, and are supported by research in countries like the UK and the US highlighting the need for complete support pathways. Though, patient experiences with these pathways haven’t been thoroughly investigated, and there’s a lack of research evaluating healthcare providers’ knowledge and ability to deliver this recommended care. A particularly concerning gap exists in areas with limited maternal health services, especially in low- and medium-income countries, where mental health support for pregnant women is often inadequate.
This study aims to address these gaps by investigating whether women with PAS are receiving the recommended supportive care and understanding their experiences with treatment. It will also assess healthcare providers’ understanding of PAS’s physical and mental impacts, the extent to which supportive services are being provided, and the barriers to implementation. The findings will be crucial for designing future research and refining clinical practise guidelines.
Author: Rozi aditya Aryananda, dr., SpOG
Key Changes & why:
Stronger Opening: Immediately establishes the importance of PAS and the disparity in care.
Conciseness: Removed some repetition and streamlined phrasing.
Clarity: Reorganized information for better flow and understanding.
Emphasis on Gaps: Highlights the research’s purpose more clearly.
professional Tone: Maintained a professional and informative tone suitable for a medical context. Removed Redundancy: Eliminated the repeated “follow-up follow-up” error.
