Journal article

Women's experience of domiciliary postnatal care in Victoria and South Australia: A population-based survey

MA Biro, JS Yelland, GA Sutherland, SJ Brown

Australian Health Review | CSIRO PUBLISHING | Published : 2012

Abstract

Objective. Despite the expansion of postnatal domiciliary services, we know little about the women receiving visits and how they regard their care. The aim of this study is to examine the provision of postnatal domiciliary care from a consumer perspective. Methods. All women who gave birth in September-October 2007 in South Australia and Victoria were mailed questionnaires 6 months after the birth. Women were asked if they had received a midwifery home visit, and to rate the care they received. Results. More women in South Australia reported receiving a domiciliary visit than in Victoria (88.0% v. 76.0%) and they were more likely to rate their care as 'very good' (69.1% v. 63.4%). Younger wo..

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

We are extremely grateful to all the women who completed the survey; staff at South Australian and Victorian hospitals for assisting in the mail-out of the surveys; and staff in the Healthy Mothers Healthy Families Research Group for their contribution to the study. The project was funded by the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council, the South Australian Department of Health, the Victorian Department of Human Services and supported by the Victorian Government's Operational-Infrastructure Support Program.