Impact of written information on women's use of postpartum services: a randomised controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
This study evaluates the impact of providing women with written educational material on their satisfaction with care, and use of health services postpartum.


METHODS
All women having a live birth at 4 private hospitals in Lebanon were eligible. The sample consisted of 187 women in the intervention and 191 in the control arms. An intervention booklet was developed following a qualitative study of women's information needs; placebo material was 2 leaflets about childproofing the house. Field workers administered a baseline questionnaire to recruit all eligible women, and conducted follow-up interviews 6-20 weeks postpartum at the women's residences. The written material was handed out to women just before discharge from hospital. At the baseline interview, interviewers and women were blinded to the nature of the written material. Outcome measures were a postpartum visit to a health professional after discharge and before the follow-up interview, and satisfaction with maternity care received during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum.


RESULTS
Satisfaction with care during the postpartum period was 57.2% in the intervention and 38.9% in the control arm (p<0.001). Some 85% of women in the intervention arm had a postpartum visit compared to 55% in the control arm (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In the context of high female literacy, the intervention is effective and requires few resources.
Kabakian-Khasholian
Tamar
T
Department of Health Behaviour and Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut. Beirut, Lebanon. tamar.kabakian@aub.edu.lb
Campbell
Oona M R
OM
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires