ROLE OF ANTENATAL CLASSES IN PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH OBSTETRIC CARE QUALITY
Background. Quality of obstetric care from the woman's point of view can play an important role in making decision about subsequent childbirth and improving the demographic situation in general. Focus on the patient is one of the criteria for assessing quality of health care and includes engagement of both the patient and family in health-related decision-making. Currently, the patient's role in the decision-making related to their health is increasing. Introduction of patient-oriented technologies can be largely facilitated by antenatal classes. The purpose of the study was to determine effect of antenatal classes on quality evaluation of obstetric care. Materials and methods. Using typological selection method we developed a sample of 278 women who regularly attended the antenatal classes and 250 women who did not attend them. Both groups were selected by unified typological criteria and are comparable in term of social and medical characteristics. Results are based on statistical data processing of questionnaires and medical records. Results and discussion. At follow-up at antenatal clinics women who attended the antenatal classes evaluated quality of care as excellent twice more often and as satisfactory - three times less often compared to women who did not attend the antenatal classes. Attendees of antenatal classes rated quality of medical care in the maternity hospital as good four times more often and as excellent - twice more often. Volume, quality and availability of information provided during antenatal classes were the main factor in quality evaluation by the patient. High quality of obstetric care as rated by attendees of the antenatal classes had a positive impact on their reproductive behavior; within the optimal three-year interval between pregnancies they gave birth to the second child 2.5 times more often. Conclusions. Antenatal classes for pregnant help to transfer to the patient-oriented technologies: engage patients, develop ownership of their own health, when the patient becomes an active participant of the treatment process. Antenatal classes have a positive effect on patient satisfaction with the quality of obstetric care. A strong direct positive relationship was established between higher quality evaluation and antenatal classes' attendance. Antenatal classes encourage reproductive behavior of women aimed at subsequent birth(s) within the optimal interval between pregnancies.