Quality assessment of family planning services in Ife/Ijesa Administrative Health Zone: clients' perspective
Orji, E.O.; Ogunniyi, S.O.; Onwudiegwu, U.
Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 20(1): 28-31
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 2543-148X Document Number: 421382
Context: Medical audit in healthcare has a goal to monitor and upgrade the standard of health care in a setting. Whether a client will accept, use effectively and continue to practice contraception depends on the quality of services rendered. Objective: To assess the quality of our family planning services as perceived by our clients. Design, Setting and Subjects: A cross-sectional survey of clients at three family planning clinics in Ife-Ijesha Administrative Health Zone coordinated by the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife between 1st April and 31st August 2000. The study group consisted of 490 clients. Main Outcome Measures: Technical competence of providers, client/provider relations; mechanisms to encourage continuity, constellation of services offered and client satisfaction. Results: More than half (52.2%) of clients felt satisfied with the competence of the provider, 94.6% were satisfied with the client-provider relationship. Measures to encourage continuity were maintained in 90.8% of clients. There is a high level (94%) of client satisfaction with overall services rendered while 36.7% received other information apart from family planning services. Conclusion: Our clients were satisfied with the quality of family planning services being rendered. However there is need for improvement in the counselling of women before vaginal examination/procedures. Literature should be provided to educate clients about what to expect during specific procedures. The common side effects of all methods should be fully explained to clients.