Improving the quality and safety of maternity services is an international top agenda item. This thesis describes the progress towards the development of a multidimensional approach to measure the quality and safety of care in ten maternity units in Oman based on three of the five dimensional Patient Safety Measurement and Monitoring Framework (PSMMF) which include measuring "past harm" and "anticipation and preparedness”. The three monitoring approaches used in this research are: (1) measuring the patient safety culture (2) measuring patient satisfaction (3) and monitoring caesarean section rates. The specific objectives of the research are to (1) measure patient safety culture level, (2) examine the association between nurse’s nationality and patient safety culture, (3) validate an Arabic language survey to measure maternal satisfaction about the childbearing experience, (4) measure patient satisfaction about the childbearing experience, and (5) to examine caesarean section rates across maternity units using statistical process control charts. This thesis started with four systematic reviews that focused on (1) the use of patient safety culture for monitoring maternity units (2) the available interventions to improve patient safety culture (3) Arabic surveys available for measuring maternal satisfaction and (4) the use of statistical process control charts for monitoring performance indicators. The overall conclusion from these reviews that these approaches are being increasingly used in maternity, found feasible and useful, and there are areas that need attention for future work. Five field studies were conducted to address the research aim and objectives. Patient safety culture was measured by a cross-sectional survey of all staff in the ten maternity units. It was found that safety culture in Oman is below the target level and that there is wide variation in the safety scores across hospitals and across different categories of staff. Non-Omani nurses have a more positive perception of patient safety culture than Omani nurses in all domains except in respect of stress recognition and this difference need further investigation and needs to be considered by designers of interventions to enhance patient safety culture. Using two existing validated English surveys, an Arabic survey was developed, validated, and used to measure maternal satisfaction with childbirth services. It was found that the new survey has good psychometric properties and that in all the ten hospitals, mothers were satisfied with the care provided during child delivery but satisfaction score varied across hospitals and groups of participants. Caesarean section rate in the last 17 years was examined using statistical process control charts to understand the variation across the ten hospitals. It was found that caesarean section rate is above the rate recommended by the World Health Organisation. Special cause variations were detected that warrant further investigation. In conclusion, the field studies demonstrated that it is feasible to use the three approaches to monitor quality and safety in maternity units. However, further work is required to use these data to enhance the quality and safety of care. Additionally, future work is needed to cover the other three dimensions of the PSMMF. / Ministry of Health in Oman,

Background: To achieve better health outcomes it is important to identify those aspects of health care delivery system that determines patient satisfaction. The health care planners must therefore be cognizant of the opinions and expectations of those who utilize health care facilities to achieve better health outcomes. This also applies to maternal satisfaction. The study aimed to measure mothers satisfaction with maternity care and its association with various socio-demographic characteristics. Method: The study presented here is a quantitative cross-sectional study that utilizes secondary data from facility-based survey conducted in 12 different tertiary hospitals of Nepal and included client exit interviews  (n=43756). The maternal satisfaction association with different exposures and potential confounders was determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Results:. Better information and counselling is seen to be associated with higher satisfaction and recommendation [AOR: 1.67 [1.60-1.75]] and [1.68[1.57-1.80], respectively. Higher level of delivery preparation indicates lower overall satisfaction [AOR: 0.70 [0.66-0.74]]. Mothers were seen to be less satisfied with the religious and cultural aspects of the maternal health services. Mothers age and sex of child was not seen to be significant with any outcome. Conclusion: Better information and counselling indicates more satisfaction and recommendation. Mothers delivery preparation is seen as a significant predictor of their overall satisfaction; therefore, this should be a part of education and information strategy for mothers from the different backgrounds.

Bakgrunn: Bakgrunn for studien er Barsel hjemme, et prosjekt som har sett på en helhetlig modell for svangerskap, fødsel og barselomsorg. Det har vært et samarbeid mellom Ullevål universitetssykehus og Bydelene Sagene/St.Hanshugen. Kvinnene som har deltatt har gått til jordmødre fra prosjektet som er/har vært ansatt på sykehuset i svangerskapet, født på Ullevål og reist tidlig hjem i barsel med besøk fra samme gruppe jordmødre. Hensikt: Evaluere Barsel hjemme ved å se på pasienterfaringer med prosjektet og undersøke kvinnenes opplevelse og ønsker når det gjelder kontinuitet og helhet i svangerskap, fødsel og barselomsorg. Metode: En triangulering av metoder er brukt: Dette inkluderer en pasienterfaringsundersøkelse, en anonym spørreundersøkelse som er sammenliknet med en liknende undersøkelse fra en barselavdeling, og fokusgruppediskusjon med kvinner fra prosjektet som er analysert med inneholdsanalyse. Funn: Kvinnene som har deltatt i Barsel hjemme er svært fornøyd med prosjektet, gjennomgående mer fornøyd enn kvinner som har hatt vanlig barselopphold ved sykehuset. De hadde deltatt igjen om det hadde vært mulig. De er ikke opptatt av kontinuitet i den forstand at samme person trenger å følge de i hele forløpet. Her spiller forventninger en viktig rolle. Personalets evne til å skape en god relasjon, en følelse av trygghet og se individuelle behov er mer viktig. De ønsker mer kontinuitet i informasjonen de får under svangerskap, fødsel og barseltid. Konklusjoner: Barsel hjemme er et prosjekt som kvinnene anbefaler, og som de skulle ønske fortsatte. Når det gjelder kontinuitet og helhet er dette avhengig av forventinger. Det at personalet kan skape personlige relasjoner og møte kvinnene på deres individuelle behov er det viktigste. / Background: This study is based on a project known as “Barsel hjemme” (“postnatal careat home”), whose main goal has been to develop a model for prenatal, birth, and postnatalcare, focusing particularly on continuity. Participants had prenatal check-ups with projectmidwives, delivered their babies at Ullevål University Hospital, and were discharged fromthe hospital early in the postnatal period. Project midwives visited all participants at home. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate Barsel hjemme by examining patient satisfaction andassessing their experiences and desires through the prism of continuity. Methods: A triangulation of methods was used. This included a patient satisfaction survey;an anonymous survey that was then compared with a similar survey from a standardpostnatal department; and content analysis of focus group discussions. Findings: Women who participated in Barsel hjemme were very satisfied, generally moresatisfied than women from a standard postnatal department. They would participate again ifpossible. They did not define continuity of care as being cared for by the same person.Expectations played an important role in how they experienced the project. Midwives’ability to create a personal connection and treat participants as individuals were paramount.Participants wanted greater continuity in the information given during pregnancy, birth, andthe postnatal period. Conclusions: Women recommend the Barsel hjemme project and want it to continue.Continuity of care hinges on individual expectations. Personal relationships and recognitionof individuality are of primary importance. / <p>ISBN 978-91-85721-94-8</p>

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