Abstract

KHUMALO, Nonhlanhla  and  RWAKAIKARA, Edrone. Patient satisfaction with peri-partum care at Bertha Gxowa district hospital, South Africa. Afr. j. prim. health care fam. med. (Online) [online]. 2020, vol.12, n.1, pp.1-8. ISSN 2071-2936.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2409.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is one of the key outcome measures of healthcare services. Aim and Setting: To explore factors that influence women's satisfaction with peri-partum care at Bertha Gxowa district hospital, South African primary care. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 260 women was conducted. A structured questionnaire collected information from participants on pain relief, health education provided by healthcare providers, privacy, cleanliness of the ward and their participation in decision-making about care received in the peri-partum period. RESULTS: Most respondents were co-habiting with their partners (100, 38%) and had completed only secondary school education (119, 46%). The average participant age was 27 years, with an average parity of two children. Most participants were satisfied with the privacy (218, 84%) and the general cleanliness of the wards (233, 90%). However, large proportions of women were dissatisfied with the information given to them by doctors (104, 55%) and nurses (89, 37%), and the rest were unsure. About 189 (73%) participants were dissatisfied with the extent of their participation in decision-making about their own care. The study had a caesarean rate of 53 (20%). Compared to normal vaginal delivery, participants who had caesarean section were significantly more likely to report being satisfied with pain relief during labour (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study findings showed varying levels of satisfaction with different aspects of peri-partum care and suggested the need for better pain relief during vaginal delivery, information sharing by doctors and patient emancipation for decision-making about their own care.

Keywords : patient satisfaction; peri-partum; care; family medicine; primary care; general practice; maternal health.

        · text in English     · English ( pdf )