title: Women's and care providers' perspectives of quality prenatal care: a qualitative descriptive study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Much attention has been given to the adequacy of prenatal care use in promoting healthy outcomes for women and their infants. Adequacy of use takes into account the timing of initiation of prenatal care and the number of visits. However, there is emerging evidence that the quality of prenatal care may be more important than adequacy of use. The purpose of our study was to explore women's and care providers' perspectives of quality prenatal care to inform the development of items for a new instrument, the Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire. We report on the derivation of themes resulting from this first step of questionnaire development.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 pregnant women and 40 prenatal care providers recruited from five urban centres across Canada. Data were analyzed using inductive open and then pattern coding. The final step of analysis used a deductive approach to assign the emergent themes to broader categories reflective of the study's conceptual framework.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The three main categories informed by Donabedian's model of quality health care were structure of care, clinical care processes, and interpersonal care processes. Structure of care themes included access, physical setting, and staff and care provider characteristics. Themes under clinical care processes were health promotion and illness prevention, screening and assessment, information sharing, continuity of care, non-medicalization of pregnancy, and women-centredness. Interpersonal care processes themes were respectful attitude, emotional support, approachable interaction style, and taking time. A recurrent theme woven throughout the data reflected the importance of a meaningful relationship between a woman and her prenatal care provider that was characterized by trust.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While certain aspects of structure of care were identified as being key dimensions of quality prenatal care, clinical and interpersonal care processes emerged as being most essential to quality care. These processes are important as they have a role in mitigating adverse outcomes, promoting involvement of women in their own care, and keeping women engaged in care. The findings suggest key considerations for the planning, delivery, and evaluation of prenatal care. Most notably, care should be woman-centred and embrace shared decision making as an essential element.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada. sword@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sword
authors.forename: Maureen I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Heaman
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tough
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kingston
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Helewa
authors.forename: Noori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akhtar-Danesh
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hutton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000592:standards*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust