Quality improvement in emergency obstetric referrals: qualitative study of provider perspectives in Assin North District, Ghana.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To describe healthcare worker (HCW)-identified system-based bottlenecks and the value of local engagement in designing strategies to improve referral processes related to emergency obstetric care in rural Ghana.

Design

Qualitative study using semistructured interviews of participants to obtain provider narratives.

Setting

Referral systems in obstetrics in Assin North Municipal Assembly, a rural district in Ghana. This included one district hospital, six health centres and four local health posts. This work was embedded in an ongoing quality improvement project in the district addressing barriers to existing referral protocols to lessen delays.

Participants

18 HCWs (8 midwives, 4 community health officers, 3 medical assistants, 2 emergency room nurses,

SUBMITTER: Afari H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4025473 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature