Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42784560›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Navigating grief and healthcare: Mixed-methods study on patient experiences of miscarriage during COVID-19.

Madeline Fernandez-Pineda, Alison Swift, Christyn Dolbier, Melvin Swanson, Marianne Rose Choufani, Kaitlin Guard Banasiewicz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Madeline Fernandez-PinedaDepartment of Nursing Science, College of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9545-9484
Alison SwiftDepartment of Advanced Nursing Practice and Education, College of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America.
Christyn DolbierDepartment of Psychology, Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0952-6311
Melvin SwansonDepartment of Nursing Science, College of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America.
Marianne Rose ChoufaniCollege of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America.
Kaitlin Guard BanasiewiczCollege of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3866-7970

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This paper aims to understand the patient experiences of women who suffered a miscarriage during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the relationships of patient experience with miscarriage management, psychological distress, and COVID-19-related stressors. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design combined cross-sectional survey data and qualitative descriptive interviews. Seventy-one women in North Carolina who experienced a miscarriage during the COVID-19 stay-at-home mandates were assessed on patient experience, miscarriage management, perceived stress, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and COVID-19-related stressors. In-depth interviews were conducted with a subsample of 18 participants. Quantitative and qualitative findings of the subsample were integrated using a joint display to examine the level of convergence. Approximately half of participants reported poor patient experiences (52%), and half reported good patient experiences (48%). COVID-19-related stressors, including inability to have a support person present and access to care disruptions, did not differ significantly between groups. Participants reporting poor patient experiences had significantly higher levels of perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms (p < .05). Among those receiving medical and/or surgical management, good patient experiences were associated with lower psychological distress; this pattern was not observed among participants undergoing expectant management. Qualitative findings identified four categories shaping miscarriage care: Access to Care, Healthcare Provider Interactions, Healthcare Support Staff Interactions, and Healthcare System Interactions. Data integration demonstrated strong convergence for all four subcategories of the Healthcare Provider Interactions category; moderate convergence for access to care; and weak convergence for healthcare support staff interactions and healthcare system interactions. Findings underscore the central role of provider and nursing interpersonal care in shaping patient experiences and psychological well-being following miscarriage, even amid COVID-19-related system disruptions. Results highlight the need for structured follow-up, emotionally supportive care, and attention to organizational policies to improve miscarriage care during public health crises.

Indexed as

Abortion, SpontaneousCOVID-19GriefAdultAnxietyCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionFemaleHumansNorth CarolinaPandemicsPregnancySARS-CoV-2Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticStress, PsychologicalYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID42784560
PMCPMC13606936

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.