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Quality of care from the perspective of women with gestational diabetes in China
Author(s) -
Ge Li,
Wikby Kerstin,
Rask Mikael
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2016.01.013
Subject(s) - medicine , gestational diabetes , qualitative research , family medicine , health care , quality (philosophy) , china , nursing , pregnancy , obstetrics , gestation , social science , philosophy , genetics , epistemology , sociology , political science , law , biology , economics , economic growth
Objective To explore the quality of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) care experienced by women in China and how it could be improved. Methods A qualitative study was conducted at a municipal hospital in south east China. Women who had been diagnosed with GDM at 34–38 weeks of pregnancy were enrolled during two periods; between May 1 and July 31, 2012, and between April 1 and July 31, 2013. Data regarding patient‐perceived care quality were collected through semi‐structured individual interviews and were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Results The study enrolled 44 patients; the interviews recorded a lack of professional care resources for GDM, a lack of high‐quality personalized care for women with GDM, and patients' suggestions regarding how to improve GDM care. Conclusion The participants reported a lack of high‐quality GDM care, describing the core problem as an imbalance between over‐stretched hospitals and low‐efficiency under‐utilized primary healthcare centers. Clinical‐practice reforms identified, particularly in primary healthcare settings, included improving services through increasing the number of health professionals and material resources to comply with diabetes guidelines, and incorporating a humanistic approach in the provision of care.