PATIENT SATISFACTION AS ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR OBSTETRIC AND GYNECOLOGIC CARE QUALITY (According to the results of analyzing written complaints from the population of Nizhny Novgorod)

Objective. To seek possible ways to increase the quality of obstetric and gynecologic care, by analyzing written complaints from citizens (in case of Nizhny Novgorod). Subject and methods. The citizens’ written complaints to the Healthcare Department of the Nizhny Novgorod City Administration in 2008 to 2011 were analyzed by copying out and processing them using Microsoft Excel 2007. Results. 54.3% of 182 complaints were associated with extremely severe obstetric complications: neonatal death, a baby’s severe health problems, a parturient’s death, etc. 12% of the complaints came due to the refusal of the personnel to give medical assistance. 25.2% were made due to the actions posing no substantial health risk. The reasons for the other complaints did not depend on the activities of specific health care workers who directly carried out a therapeutic and diagnostic process. According to the investigation results, 63.3% of the complaints were recognized unfounded and associated with the lack of population awareness about the procedure of medical care and the scope of people’s rights. Conclusion. To upgrade the quality of medical care, it is necessary to improve specialists’ qualification, including short-term subject improving cycles on specialized issues; to increase the legal literacy of health care workers; to expand explanatory work among the population on the scope of free medical care rendered by the health care facilities involved in its provision.

obstetric and gynecological care, a patient’s rights