Twenty-five years of obstetric patient satisfaction in North America: a review of the literature.

The North American literature on obstetric patient satisfaction of the past 25 years was reviewed using two major computerized databases. The articles identified by these searches were supplemented with other research articles identified in reference lists. The review highlights the difficulties inherent in the use of many different methodologies to study obstetric patient satisfaction. The main methodologies have been mailed questionnaires, telephone interviews, and semistructured interviews, with data collection periods ranging from 24 hours to 2 years postpartum. The various approaches to data collection make comparison of results among studies exceedingly difficult. The reluctance of patients to criticize their caregivers has been problematic and is evidenced by satisfaction ratings that are positively skewed. Factors that have been reported to be most influential in obstetric patient satisfaction include communication, control, participation in decision making, presence of a support person, information/prenatal classes, nursing care services, length of stay, and physical environment. The relative importance of these factors, however, has not been ascertained.