Research suggests that grief after reproductive loss can become a complicated form of grief that persists over time and disrupts daily living. Our goal in the present study was to investigate the wording of items on a previously studied tool, the Reproductive Grief Screen, that could be used to screen patients for complicated grief. We analyzed data from 27 qualitative interviews and 282 survey respondents to assess the opinions of women who had experienced reproductive loss about the wording of each item on the screening tool. Results confirmed that the language in three of the five items was problematic (i.e., triggering, confusing, or too wordy), requiring revision. Two of the three revised items were supported, but the third item wording still did not reach agreement. Participants were sensitive to the language used in the initial version of the reproductive screening tool. One item still needs additional clarification before determination of the optimal wording. Including women who have experienced reproductive loss and grief in the development of a new reproductive grief screening survey is a novel approach for creating and refining a clinical tool. Additionally, using chi-square item testing as part of early scale development offers an alternative to correlational approaches. Findings suggest that the new screening tool is necessary for modernizing the standard of care provided to women who experience reproductive loss and to identify those with complicated grief after reproductive loss in a manner that is compassionate and sensitive to patients' needs. • The Reproductive Grief Screen confirmed women's experiences with complicated grief. • Women identified problems with RGS items and offered suggestions for improvement. • Incorporating women's feedback into the RGS will ensure sensitivity to patients.
Brann et al. (Sun,) studied this question.