Quality of Hospital-Based Childbirth Services and Consumer Utilization Behaviour in the Denkyembour District of Eastern Region of Ghana

Abstract

Childbirth which ought to be a joyful moment for families often turn sad and unforgettable experiences with millions of women develop life-long complications. This has been global issue, and has attracted global attention for more than two decades. Several interventions like Fee-exemption policy (FEP), Millennium Village project, safe motherhood programme have been instituted both at national and international level. Quality of childbirth services, delays in obstetric care services, among others have been cited by some scholars are major causes of maternal deaths and obstetric complications. Several studies have been done on quality of healthcare but most of them have centred on out-patient services in Ghana. Some studies have looked at determinant of utilization of healthcare services. However, this study sought to investigate the relationship between quality of hospital-based childbirth services and consumer utilization behaviour intentions. A quantitative approach was employed and structured questionnaire was used to gather data. The study was a cross-sectional explanatory survey of 400 mothers who delivered in the St. Dominic hospital within one year prior to data collection, and 80 health workers especially those working in the maternity ward. Samples were randomly drawn. Data was analyses using independent two-sample t-test and binary logistic regressions. The findings revealed that quality of hospital-based childbirth services has a positive relationship with consumer utilization behaviour. And socio-demographic characteristics especially age, income, marital status, and parity have relationship with consumer utilization behaviour intentions. Based on this it was recommended that healthcare managers should fixed their eyes constantly on quality improvement strategies. Also, to eliminate financial barrier to hospital-based childbirth services, health insurance and other healthcare fund managers must ensure that schemes are sustainable.