Evaluating Womens Satisfaction With Health Services Received During Childbirth: A Study of Hospitals in Athens, Greece

Abstract

Background: Cooperating with healthcare providers during childbirth plays a vital role in women satisfaction with their received health services. Therefore, womens satisfaction with their doctor/midwife during childbirth was assessed and its corresponding factors with the aim of improving health services were identified. The differences concerning users of public and private hospitals were also examined.

Methods: The Kuopio Instrument for Mothers (KIM) (Greek version) questionnaire was used to measure the satisfaction of 139 postpartum women (after either vaginal or cesarean births) who gave birth at either public (n = 97) or private hospitals (n = 42) in the greater Athens area.

Results: Participants mean age was 35.5 years; 50.4% were secondary school graduates, 38.1% had higher education, and 11.5% had a postgraduate degree; 83.5% were married; 41.7% worked full-time, 8.6% were unemployed, and 12.2% were housemakers. Almost half (41.7%) had a cesarean section; however, most (86.3%) wished to have had a vaginal birth. Generally, most women were satisfied with the healthcare services provided during childbirth, with more women reporting satisfaction with doctors versus midwives. Moreover, satisfaction was directly correlated with age, past birthing experience, and the information that women received during their pregnancy from the Internet. Women were more satisfied if they had a vaginal delivery rather than a cesarean section. Less educated women were more satisfied with their doctor than their more educated counterparts. Women who gave birth in private, rather than public hospitals, were also more satisfied. Other factors such as family and economic situation, the number of previous births, and a history of miscarriages or abortions did not affect women’s satisfaction.

Conclusions: Most women reported a great desire to express their opinions during childbirth; therefore, hospitals should distribute satisfaction questionnaires to postpartum women before they are discharged. In addition, healthcare providers should improve their communication with women during childbirth, emphasizing necessary information concerning how the birth is progressing. Finally, when they can be done safely, vaginal births should be promoted over cesarean sections. Future research should work to strengthen the knowledge we have about postpartum women’s satisfaction during childbirth.




J Clin Gynecol Obstet. 2018;7(1):1-12
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jcgo475w

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