Abstract:
Background: Provision of compassionate and respectful care (CRC) is an essential component of quality health care and has been under public scrutiny in recent years. While several factors could contribute to the quality of CRC, qualified and motivated providers are key to ensure that such services are provided to clients. However, the perspective of health care providers appears to be neglected in the literature in our region.
Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore the perspectives of healthcare providers on compassionate and respectful maternal care.
Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted from July to December 2018 using open-ended, semi- structured interview guide in MCH unit of two public health facilities. The study subjects were healthcare providers working in maternal units of St. Peter's Specialized Hospital and Ras Desta Damtew Memorial General Hospitals. The interviews with consent from the participants of the study were audio taped, transcribed and analyzed using Thematic Analysis by using Open Code 4.03 qualitative data analysis software.
Results: The results of this study showed that providers value compassion but there are many influencing factors that can potentially diminish this value, mainly organizational factors like physical space, supply limitations, working conditions and competence. Conclusion and Recommendations: Understanding health care providers‟ position and addressing their barriers to providing compassionate and respectful care including appropriate training and supervision are important to improve maternal health care.
........................................... Thesis available at ACIPH Library