Outcomes evaluation of St Petersburg Russia Women's Wellness Center.

Researchers demonstrate that investing in women's health yields great social and economic dividends, yet the health of women often receives little attention throughout the world. Women's wellness centers (WWCs) were established in the former Soviet Union beginning in 1992 under the sponsorship of the American International Health Alliance (AIHA) in conjunction with the United States Association for International Development (USAID) to provide a women-centered approach to primary care, providing access to a wide range of clinical services and educational outreach programs. Because the St Petersburg Women's Wellness Center (WWC) is considered one of the more advanced centers and represents a microcosm of opportunities and challenges in women's health care delivery in the Russian Federation, a descriptive qualitative outcomes evaluation of the clinic was conducted. In the spirit of continuous quality improvement, interviews were conducted with childbearing women. Findings are categorized into the dimensions of access, privacy and comfort, communication with providers, comprehensiveness of care, and follow-up care. Strengths of the clinic include the "woman friendly" environment and educational offerings. Suggestions also were made by study participants for improvement of clinic services. Qualitative research can be translated into clinical practice guidelines for WWCs in Eastern Europe.