title: Family practice versus specialist care for low-risk obstetrics: examining patient satisfaction in Newfoundland and Labrador.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate patient satisfaction with 3 models of low-risk obstetrics care: solo care by a GP, group care by GPs, and specialist care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-arm study comparing results of a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two academic family practices and the labour and delivery ward in St John's, Nfld.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 220 women deemed to have low-risk pregnancies; 82 women completed the questionnaire (37% response rate).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient satisfaction scores obtained from a modified version of the Patient Expectations and Satisfaction with Prenatal Care instrument.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low-risk maternity patients' satisfaction with obstetric care provided by GPs in a group-care setting was equivalent to that with obstetric care provided by GPs working solo and greater than that with obstetric care provided by specialists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients found that group care by GPs was an acceptable means of receiving obstetric services in a low-risk setting. Therefore, a group practice model might provide an attractive means for FPs to keep obstetrics within the scope of primary care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1. mgkidd@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kidd
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avery
authors.forename: Norah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McPhail
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009523:Newfoundland and Labrador; D009774:Obstetrics; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires