Women's perceptions of the quality of emergency obstetric care in a referral hospital in rural Tanzania.
OBJECTIVE
To assess perceptions of the quality of obstetric care of women who delivered in a rural Tanzanian referral hospital.


METHODS
A descriptive-exploratory qualitative study, using semistructured in-depth interviews and participatory observation. Nineteen recently delivered women and 3 health workers were interviewed.


RESULTS
Although most women held positive views about the care they received in hospital, several participants expressed major concerns about negative attitudes of healthcare workers. Lack of medical communication given by care providers constituted a major complaint.


CONCLUSIONS
A more positive attitude by health workers and the provision of adequate medical information may promote a more positive hospital experience of women in need of obstetric care and enhance attendance.
Department of Medical Humanities, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Karen Berit
KB
Stal
St. Francis Referral Hospital, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Pedro
P
Pallangyo
Department of Medical Humanities, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Marianne
M
van Elteren
Department of Gynaecology, Haaglanden Medical Center, The Hague, the Netherlands.|Department of Obstetrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Thomas
T
van den Akker
Department of Medical Humanities, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.|Department of Gynaecology, Haaglanden Medical Center, The Hague, the Netherlands.
Jos
J
van Roosmalen
St. Francis Referral Hospital, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Angelo
A
Nyamtema
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012424:Rural Population; D013636:Tanzania; D055815:Young Adult
actitud trabajadores sanitarios; attitude des agents de santé; calidad de atención obstétrica; health workers' attitude; patient perception; percepción del paciente; perception du patient; quality of obstetric care; qualité des soins obstétricaux