Abstract:
Objectives This study aimed to explore experiences of
communication as an element of quality of care, among
women surviving a maternal near-miss event, thus
women who nearly died but survived haemorrhage, or
pre-eclampsia complication during pregnancy, childbirth or
within 42 days of termination of pregnancy.
Design A descriptive, phenomenological, qualitative study
using semistructured interviews with women who survived
a maternal near-miss in Southern Tanzania.
Setting The participants were recruited from two selected
hospitals in Mtwara Region, where women sought child
birth care and developed near-miss condition.
Participants Participants for this study were women who
experienced and survived a maternal near-miss event and
who had lived in the study area for at least 1 year. Women
were recruited using an adapted version of the WHO
criteria for maternal near-miss.
Data collection We identified 16 women and were
able to conduct 10 in-depth interviews with women at
their homes, 4 weeks after they were discharged. The
interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed and
translated word for word from Kiswahili. Thematic analysis
was used to identify emerging themes.
Results Three major themes evolved: (1) Being informed
about the care and interaction, (2) Being engaged and
encouraged and (3) Being afraid to ask questions. The
study highlighted that good communication with women
during the provision of care helped women feel grateful,
supported and cared for. Women who were unconscious
during care were often not informed later of what
happened. This created some negative feelings and
anxiety.
Conclusion This study highlights the importance of
communication, and of being informed of what happened
and why. Empathetic communication with sufficient
explanation on what happened and why created trust
among women—a positive finding which should
encourage the development of consistent approaches to
strengthen healthcare provider communication skills