Using complaints from obstetric care for improving women's birth experiences - a cross sectional study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality research
• Patient experience analysis
• Obstetrics and Gynecology

Background:

• Healthcare systems face concerns regarding staff shortages and obstetric care quality.
• Public debate on deficient obstetric care lacks empirical data.
• This study addresses the need for data on obstetric care complaints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and describe complaints specific to obstetric care.
• To compare obstetric care complaint patterns with those of other hospital services for female patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool for coding and analysis.
• Examined obstetric care complaints from 2016-2021 in a Danish region.
• Conducted a cross-sectional study comparing obstetric complaints to all other hospital complaints from female patients at a University Hospital.

Main Results:

• Obstetric care complaints differ significantly from other hospital service complaints.
• Women in obstetric care reported more issues per complaint, particularly relational problems.
• Complaints about staff shortages were four times higher in obstetric care; compensation claims were less frequent.

Conclusions:

• Systematic complaint analysis validates women's experiences in obstetric care.
• Identified deficiencies in obstetric care include relational issues like recognition and individualized support.
• Findings suggest areas needing further attention to improve obstetric care quality.