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Social history of a research project: a study on early post-partum discharge
This paper has a two-fold aim: first we report the results of a study in which 66 recently-delivered women were asked their opinion about a possible program of early post-partum discharge, and about their recent experience of birth and hospital stay. The data show that, while most of the mothers were critical of a number of aspects related to personnel behaviour and hospital organization, only a minority would have appreciated early post-partum discharge. The second aim was to present and discuss the social history of this research project: the reasons why the authors carried out the study, the difficulties in interpreting the results and, above all, the obstacles encountered in trying to have them circulated, discussed and applied. It was felt that these problems were not specific to this study, and that it was therefore worthwhile to discuss them openly.
This paper has a two-fold aim: first we report the results of a study in which 66 recently-delivered women were asked their opinion about a possible program of early post-partum discharge, and about their recent experience of birth and hospital stay. The data show that, while most of the mothers were critical of a number of aspects related to personnel behaviour and hospital organization, only a minority would have appreciated early post-partum discharge. The second aim was to present and discuss the social history of this research project: the reasons why the authors carried out the study, the difficulties in interpreting the results and, above all, the obstacles encountered in trying to have them circulated, discussed and applied. It was felt that these problems were not specific to this study, and that it was therefore worthwhile to discuss them openly.