Satisfaction with general practitioner obstetrician-led maternity care in rural Western Australia

Objective To measure satisfaction with general practitioner obstetrician-led maternity care in Western Australia and to explore perspectives of maternity service users Design Women were recruited at antenatal visits with their general practitioner obstetrician. Participants completed a validated three-part survey about their satisfaction with antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care. They were all offered a semi-structured interview. Setting Nine general practitioner obstetrician practices located in regional Western Australia. Participants 155 women receiving general practitioner obstetrician-led maternity care within the South West or Great Southern regions of Western Australia. 13 of these women also participated in an interview. Main Outcome Measures We quantified satisfaction with aspects of antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care using a Likert scale. Descriptive variables included demographic information and birth outcomes. Qualitative data described valued aspects of maternity care. Results 116 women completed all 3 surveys. General practitioner obstetrician-led care resulted in high rates of satisfaction across all 3 stages of care, with 78%-100% agreement with positively worded satisfaction statements. Thematic analysis identified four key aspects of care women valued when receiving maternity care: the woman-centred care experience, the skills of the general practitioner obstetrician, support from the health care team and the health care environment. Conclusion General practitioner obstetrician-led maternity care is a highly regarded model of maternity care, valued by rural women with high rates of satisfaction.