An evaluation of the quality of antenatal care and patient satisfaction in two provinces of South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of service delivery for HIV-infected women at antenatal clinics in the Western Cape and Free State provinces, South Africa and to highlight areas for improvement. It was part of a larger one to determine the effectiveness of PMTCT programmes in 4 countries. These two provinces were selected because the researchers had access to facilities there. The population included all clinics with antenatal services in these provinces. Pregnant women attending the clinics were selected to assess care at these services. The sampling frame for the facility survey consisted of the antenatal clinics that referred patients to the delivery sites where the first component of the PEARL study, a cord blood surveillance exercise had taken place.