Sawyer, Alexandra, Ayers, Susan, Abbott, Jane, Gyte, Gillian, Rabe, Heike and Duley, Leila (2013) Measures of satisfaction with care during labour and birth: a comparative review. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 13 (108). pp. 1-10. ISSN 1471-2393

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Abstract

Background
Satisfaction is the one of the most frequently reported outcome measures for quality of care. Assessment of satisfaction with maternity services is crucial, and psychometrically sound measures are needed if this is to inform health practices. This paper comparatively reviews current measures of satisfaction with care during labour and birth.

Methods
A review of the literature was conducted. Studies were located through computerised databases and hand searching references of identified articles and reviews. Inclusion criteria were that the questionnaire was a multi-item scale of satisfaction with care during labour and birth, and some form of psychometric information (either information about questionnaire construction, or reliability, or validity) had to be reported.

Results
Nine questionnaires of satisfaction with care during labour and birth were identified. Instruments varied in psychometric properties and dimensions. Most described questionnaire construction and tested some form of reliability and validity. Measures were generally not based on the main theoretical models of satisfaction and varied in scope and application to different types of samples (e.g. satisfaction following caesarean section). For an in-depth measure of satisfaction with intrapartum care, the Intrapartal-Specific Quality from the Patient’s Perspective questionnaire (QPP-I) is recommended. Brief measures with good reliability and validity are provided by the Six Simple Questions (SSQ) or Perceptions of Care Adjective Checklist (PCACL-R).

Conclusions
Despite the interest in measures of satisfaction there are only a small number of validated measures of satisfaction with care during labour and birth. It is important that brief, reliable and valid measures are available for use in general and specific populations in order to assist research and inform practice.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Patient satisfaction; Labour; Birth; Questionnaire; Measurement.
Schools and Departments:	Brighton and Sussex Medical School > Clinical and Experimental Medicine
Subjects:	R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ0242 Hospital care
Depositing User:	Katie Isaac
Date Deposited:	23 May 2014 13:25
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2019 17:49
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/48804

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