Dr. Kimberly Hoover, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist. Now, as a co-author of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) new guidance on pain management, she urges providers to use more effective pain management techniques during routine women’s health procedures. The guidelines seek to address the discomfort often experienced by patients, particularly concerning intrauterine device (IUD) placements and other similar interventions.
The new ACOG guidance highlights the importance of comprehensive counseling. This creates the space for patients to really understand their options. This strategy is designed to enable patients and families to engage in shared decision making about their care, especially when it comes to options for treating pain. Dr. Hoover emphasizes, “Comprehensive counseling is key because patients must be able to decide for themselves what interventions, if any, they would like to try.”
Genevieve Hofmann, a women’s health nurse practitioner, supports this initiative, noting the anxiety many patients experience regarding pain during procedures. She states, “As a women’s health nurse practitioner, I treat patients every day who express anxiety about pain related to common procedures like IUD placement.” This overwhelming sentiment signals to all clinicians the importance of communication with regards to pain management.
The ACOG guidelines take aim at a big issue—black women’s experiences. Hofmann points out, “Unfortunately, many patients feel their pain has been diminished or dismissed by their clinicians, which data shows can lead to patient dissatisfaction and distrust.” This underscores the need for all healthcare professionals to actively listen to and validate their patients’ pain experiences.
Dr. Hoover and her colleagues have released these guidelines as a way to help make that kind of supportive environment flourish. Their mission is saving patients’ lives with minimally invasive gynecologic procedures. By emphasizing pain management and patient counseling, they are working to improve the patient experience and re-establish trust in OB-GYN practices.
