For seven weeks this summer, the three medical students worked to enroll participants in OPTION, a large national study on induction of labor. They identified potential participants, provided information about the study and asked whether they would like to take part.
In a single summer month, they recruited 41 women, 36 of whom were eligible for randomization.
“That’s fantastic! They set a new record for the number of patients we were able to randomize in a single summer month. I’m both impressed and extremely pleased with what they accomplished,” says Ylva Carlsson, obstetrician, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and the students’ principal supervisor.
Asking patients to participate
Among other questions, OPTION is investigating whether it is equally safe for the pregnant participant and the baby to spend the first part of an induction at home rather than at the hospital. Participants are randomly assigned either to remain at the hospital or to go home while waiting for the cervix to ripen.
For the students, much of the work has involved learning how to explain a research study without influencing a patient’s decision.
Caroline Winther, who is in semester 10, was looking for a summer research opportunity in obstetrics when she found the project in a database of research projects and contacted the research group.
“It took a while to find my own way of presenting the study. You want to explain it well, but at the same time, you can’t push anyone to participate. Patients need to feel that the decision is entirely theirs and be just as comfortable saying no as saying yes,” Caroline says.
A rewarding experience
Cecilia Andersson has just started semester 9 and was invited to do summer research while working as an assistant nurse at the ultrasound clinic.
“I’ve been thinking about doing research in the future for a long time, and now I feel even more strongly that it’s something I want to pursue. It has been very rewarding to see how research actually works while also gaining a deeper understanding of obstetrics,” Cecilia says.
Moa Fredin, who has also started semester 9, had previously worked as an assistant nurse. As a summer researcher, she has taken on greater responsibility while also learning to navigate the boundary between providing research information and giving medical advice.
“Sometimes patients ask medical questions that I shouldn’t answer as a student because I’m not a licensed physician. You have to know where to draw the line and when to refer a question to someone else. It has been really valuable preparation for my future work as a doctor,” Moa says.
Contributing beyond the summer
In addition to enrolling participants, the students developed educational materials for use within OPTION. Their summer research will therefore make a tangible contribution to the project even after their own seven-week placements have ended.
OPTION is being conducted at most labor and delivery units in Sweden and has so far recruited around 3,500 participants. The students’ work made it possible to maintain recruitment throughout the summer.
“In a study this large, it is absolutely essential to keep recruitment going. The fact that they were so successful in the middle of the summer has been extremely important for the study,” Ylva says.
For Josefin Rosengren, research midwife and supervisor, the students have also eased the day-to-day workload.
“Their help has been invaluable. They quickly got up to speed on the study and have been able to provide patients with the same information and the same opportunity to decide whether to participate. At the same time, this has freed up time for us to focus on clinical work,” Josefin says.
The students’ summer research was funded by the Swedish Society of Medicine and the Stiftelsen Mary von Sydows, född Wijk, donationsfond.
