Date of Award

12-1994

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Program

Nursing

Research Advisor

June H. Larrabee, Ph.D, R.N.

Committee

Kay F. Engelhardt, Ph.D, R.N.

Keywords

Post-partum care, patient perception

Abstract

Increased competition among healthcare organizations for the obstetric consumer market has led to increased interest in women’s perceptions of their obstetric experience. This study explored women’s perceptions of quality and women’s perceptions of benefits for women who received family-centered postpartum care (FCPPC) and women who received traditional postpartum care (TPPC). The study also assessed the relationship between women’s-perceived quality (WPQ) and women’s-perceived benefit (WPB) for those receiving FCPPC and those receiving TPPC. Quality and beneficence are the two concepts of Larrabee’s (1992) model of quality operationalized in this study. The sample consisted of 60 postpartum women, 30 receiving care on an all FCPPC unit and 30 receiving care on a TPPC unit delivering both FCPPC and TPPC. Women’s quality was measured by obtaining satisfaction scores using the modified patient participation questionnaire, with responses rated on a five-point Likert scale. Women’s-perceived benefit was measured by obtaining responses to benefit items rated on a five-point Likert scale score. Chi-Square and ANOVA revealed no demographic differences between groups. The study findings indicate that women receiving FCPPC have higher perceptions of quality on some dimensions of care than women receiving TPPC because FCPPC group scores were significantly higher on 8 out of 22 WPQ items. WPQ Mean scores for both FCPPC and TPPC groups were high. However, FCPPC group scores were significantly higher on 8 out of 22 WPQ items. In addition, the study findings indicate that women receiving FCPPC have higher perceptions of some benefits than women receiving TPPC because the FCPPC group scores were significantly higher on 3 out of 7 WPB items. Results also indicated that a relationship exists between quality and beneficence. These findings suggest implications that nurses working in TPPC units should incorporate FCPPC approaches to giving care, pertaining to those eight WPQ aspects of care and for the three WPB aspects of care. Results further imply that if women perceive care as beneficial they will also perceive it as quality. Health care providers should focus care activities and quality improvement activities on aspects of care women perceive as beneficial and for which quality improvement is indicated from the women’s perspective.

DOI

10.21007/etd.cghs.1994.0426

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