Patient-reported outcomes in research on critically ill obstetric patients

Background: Research benefits from the incorporation of patient-important outcomes. We interviewed individuals after a critical illness during pregnancy to identify outcomes for the development of a core outcome set (COS). Methods: Participants were identified through intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in Toronto, Canada, and Barranquilla, Colombia. Interviewers used a semi-structured guide, and discussions were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts underwent inductive thematic analysis to delineate themes and patient-important outcomes. Results: Twelve individuals were interviewed. Twenty-six patient-important outcomes were elicited, which represented the core outcome areas of mortality (n = 1), physiological/clinical outcomes (n = 7), functioning and life impact (n = 13), resource use (n = 4) and adverse events (n = 1). These related to five identified themes of mental well-being, quality of care delivered, clinicians' communication, regaining functional independence and mother-newborn separation. Conclusions: This qualitative study identified patient-important outcomes from persons with lived experience of critical illness in pregnancy which will inform the development of a COS.