Satisfaction with pregnancy and birth services: The quality of maternity care services as experienced by women

Objectives: to investigate the opinions of women regarding satisfaction with the quality of maternity care received, and to establish whether health-care technology increases satisfaction or interferes with the construction of personal satisfaction in the process of care. Design and setting: information was gathered using focus groups. The area of study comprised the postnatal groups run as part of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme of the Catalan Health Authority, Spain. Participants: five focus groups were held between May 2006 and July 2007. Findings: quality of care is a complex concept in which a number of independent core features can be identified. These core features were grouped into three basic categories: safety (the hospital and its technological facilities, and the technical expertise of health professionals), the relationship between the carers and the service user, and the structural aspects that determine the context in which health care is provided. Key conclusions and implications for practice: the mothers in this study were satisfied with health-care technology and viewed it as a source of security. Technology was indispensable to reduce the anxiety provoked by their perceived lack of confidence in their ability as mothers. During pregnancy and, especially, when giving birth, women believe that their feelings and values should be understood by professionals, from whom they seek empathy and personal commitment, not just information. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.