Client satisfaction and transfers across care levels of women with uncomplicated pregnancies at the onset of labor

Objective to compare the client satisfaction of women with uncomplicated pregnancies at the onset of labor who were transferred across care levels during childbirth and women who were not transferred across care levels in the Dutch perinatal healthcare system, and–if there are differences–to identify the variables that may explain them. Methods the research entailed a population-based study of women with uncomplicated pregnancies at the onset of labor living in the catchment area of a Dutch Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the eastern part of the Netherlands who gave birth between April 2014 and September 2014. Respondents completed a validated questionnaire (n = 842; mean age 30.7 years). Client satisfaction, measured on a 10-point scale, was assessed within 12 weeks after childbirth. Findings of the 842 respondents, 277 women experienced a transfer of care during childbirth, and 565 women were not transferred. The client satisfaction of women who were transferred across care levels (mean 8.04; SD 1.4) was significantly lower (p