What matters to mothers: survey on mothers’ values in VBC

Percept and Leapfrog to Value | June 2023

This report details the results of a survey of what 360 South African mothers valued across the entire maternal episode. The questionnaire focused on what mattered to women during pre-natal appointments, labour and delivery and in postpartum appointments with respect to their interactions with healthcare providers. We investigated quantitative indicators of what different mothers valued alongside qualitative insights that mother’s themselves provided.

How mothers felt during their interactions (feeling listened to, treated with care, respect, and understanding) and whether they were offered information that could help them take charge of their own health and the health of their newborns were the two most prominent quantitative findings. However, in the qualitative section where women could express themselves in their own words, they reflected more on their relationship with their healthcare providers. Here we found that women expected healthcare workers to perform basic competencies (being checked regularly, being offered pain relief) and to treat patients compassionately and appropriately, based on pre-existing and emergent health needs, so that they could be reassured by and trust in the care they received.