What is, must be best: a research note on conservative or deferential responses to antenatal care provision.

During a study of innovations in antenatal care it was found that overall levels of satisfaction with care were high. Pregnant women appeared to assume that whatever arrangements they had experienced were the best arrangements possible and to be negative about innovations until they had experienced them. This response, which may be due to conservatism or deference, is examined in relation to aspects of general practice and hospital care, and its implications for the evaluation of health care are discussed.