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.