Assessment of quality of antenatal care that pregnant women receive during the initial visit at Kawale Health Centre in Lilongwe District
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Date
2017-02-01
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Abstract
Antenatal care is one of the strategies for the improvement of maternal health and the he reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The initial antenatal care visit is the entry point for antenatal care and is the most significant visit since this is the visit where women are categorised into standard care or special care in accordance with
the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. This study aimed at assessing the
quality of antenatal care that pregnant women receive during the initial antenatal visit at
Kawale Health Centre in Lilongwe District. Specifically, the study assessed the
availability of resources necessary for the provision of quality antenatal care, nurse
midwives’ knowledge and actual practice, and pregnant women’s knowledge of antenatal
care and their satisfaction with the care that they receive during the initial visit. The study design was descriptive which used quantitative approach. Systematic random sampling was used to recruit 384 pregnant women who participated in the study. Data was collected using observation checklists and structured questionnaires for both pregnant women and nurse midwives. The study was guided by Donabedien’s Quality of Care Framework. Data collection was done in May and June 2015. Data analysis was
done using SPSS version 16.0. Results of the study showed that the structure for
providing antenatal care scored below the WHO standard at 46% and the process also
scored below standard at 65%. Pregnant women lacked knowledge of antenatal care but
showed satisfaction with the care received. Uninterrupted supply of material resources
necessary for the provision of quality antenatal care, the use of stipulated guidelines,
including health education and counselling to pregnant women is recommended for the
improvement of quality antenatal care during the initial visit at Kawale Health Centre