Promoting the use of aromatherapy to decrease anxiety and patient perception of pain during a gynecologic procedure: An integrative therapy quality improvement intervention

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this study was to implement a system for clinic staff and providers to promote, support, and document the use of lavender aromatherapy to reduce anxiety and pain perception as an option for patients experiencing an intrauterine device insertion.</p> <p>This QI project will take place at a gynecology clinic within a large midwestern tertiary healthcare center. Patients presenting to this clinic site are seen throughout the lifespan for a variety of women&rsquo;s health conditions. The implementation of this QI project will provide women with an option of using an integrative therapy to help reduce anxiety and perception of pain during intrauterine device (IUD) insertions. Interventions will target barriers to essential oil use at the gynecology clinic. The interventions will focus on improving staff and patient knowledge regarding evidence-based use of inhaled lavender aromatherapy and its benefits to patients during gynecologic procedures. Site leads will be identified to act as an on-site resource to staff members. Additionally, accessibility of lavender essential oil at point of care will be improved and guidelines for documentation will be created. Staff attendance at education sessions will be tracked via a staff roster by a clinic stakeholder who will attend the meetings. Electronic health record (EHR) documentation will be reviewed to determine if the required documentation was completed when inhaled lavender was utilized. To measure patient outcomes, clinic stakeholders will collect data from the EHR to determine the number of IUDs inserted during the implementation period. Documentation will be reviewed to identify the number of patients that were offered inhaled lavender prior to IUD insertion and the number of patients that utilized inhaled lavender. A Likert scale will be used to assess the patient&rsquo;s self-reported anxiety and perception of pain.</p>