Impact of written information on women's use of postpartum services: a randomised controlled trial.
Abstract
Background: This study evaluates the impact of providing women with written educational material on their satisfaction with care, and use of health services postpartum. Methods: All women having a live birth at 4 private hospitals in Lebanon were eligible. The sample consisted of 187 women in the intervention and 191 in the control arms. An intervention booklet was developed following a qualitative study of women's information needs; placebo material was 2 leaflets about childproofing the house. Field workers administered a baseline questionnaire to recruit all eligible women, and conducted follow-up interviews 6-20 weeks postpartum at the women's residences. The written material was handed out to women just before discharge from hospital. At the baseline interview, interviewers and women were blinded to the nature of the written material. Outcome measures were a postpartum visit to a health professional after discharge and before the follow-up interview, and satisfaction with maternity care received during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. Results: Satisfaction with care during the postpartum period was 57.2% in the intervention and 38.9% in the control arm (p
Citation
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (2007) Volume 86, Issue 7, pp. 793-798 [DOI:10.1080/00016340701365340].
Links
Impact of written information on women’s use of postpartum services: a randomised controlled trial.