Patient-Reported Levels of Satisfaction in Pain Management With Non-pharmacological Measures During Pregnancy: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial

Objective: To analyze factors influencing satisfaction in pregnant women during labor as patients and the relationship of the level of satisfaction with pain management through transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Methods: A randomized and double-blind controlled trial was conducted. All participants completed the satisfaction scale immediately after childbirth. A total of 63 participants were randomly assigned to one TENS device to relieve the pain, with a different dose in each group. Patients’ responses were measured with 2 scales; the satisfaction level was measured with the Care in Obstetrics: Measure for Testing Satisfaction scale, and pain was measured with the visual analogue scale. Results: A total of 63 women were randomized into three groups: Active TENS ( n = 21), Placebo TENS ( n = 21), and Control ( n = 21). Baseline characteristics, including maternal age (mean 27.3 ± 4.1 years), parity, body mass index, and gestational age, showed no significant differences among the groups ( P > 0.05). The active TENS group showed significantly greater pain relief, with a mean visual analogue scale score reduction of 3.3 ± 1.2 compared to 1.1 ± 0.9 in the placebo group and 0.8 ± 0.7 in the Control group ( P < 0.001). Maternal satisfaction scores were also highest in the Active TENS group (median 8.0, IQR: 7.0–9.0) compared to Placebo (6.0, IQR: 5.0–7.0) and Control (5.0, IQR: 4.0–6.0) groups ( P < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression indicated that only the type of TENS used was significantly associated with maternal satisfaction (β = 0.42, P = 0.007). Other variables, including parity, BMI, perceived support, and baseline pain severity, were not statistically significant predictors ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: Overall, a high level of satisfaction with care during the labor process was obtained; we recommend the use of TENS for pain relief to improve general satisfaction. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03137251