Assessment of Quality of Care among Pregnant Women in the Achimota Hospital

Abstract

Background: The provision and uptake of quality and timely antenatal care (ANC) is an essential element of efforts to improve health outcomes for women and newborn babies since Antenatal consultations assist in early identification and treatment of complications during pregnancy. Good quality ANC improves maternal health, decreases the chances of suffering from anaemia, pregnancy induced hypertension and preterm labour and promotes positive pregnancy outcomes, including a reduced risk of low birth weight and preterm babies. In the Greater Accra region, little is known about quality of antenatal care. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the quality of antenatal care among pregnant women at the Achimota Hospital. Methods: The study employed descriptive cross- sectional design. Data were collected from 403 pregnant women during exit interviews using structured questionnaire. Observational checklist was used to assess infrastructure and health care procedures used to render the ANC services. Systematic sampling was used to select pregnant women attending ANC at the Achimota Hospital while convenient sampling was used to select health workers in the ANC department to participate in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to describe the data and to find associations. Quantitative data was entered using SPSS version 20 and Stata version 15 for analysis. Findings: The results indicated that almost all (91.81%) respondents were satisfied with ANC services. Drugs, infection prevention and control and some guidelines were available at the facility. History taking, laboratory and clinical investigations, health education and physical examination from head to toe were performed on almost all the respondents. (Hep B laboratory investigation was the least performed test). After controlling for other variables, provider examination to satisfaction (p = 0.000), client treated with respect by the health worker (p = 0.000) and communication with providers in privacy (p = 0.021) were significantly associated with satisfaction with quality ANC services. Conclusion: Quality of ANC services was good at Achimota Hospital. Socio-demographic factors have no effect on the quality of care. Pregnant women were satisfied with the care they are receiving at the Achimota Hospital. The facility was very clean with a comfortable waiting area. Nonetheless, there is the need to provide ANC guidelines at the ANC department.