Human resources and the quality of emergency obstetric care in developing countries: a systematic review of the literature
2009

Human Resources and the Quality of Emergency Obstetric Care in Developing Countries

Sample size: 250 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Dogba Maman, Fournier Pierre

Primary Institution: Université de Montréal

Hypothesis

What is the role of human resources in providing quality emergency obstetric care?

Conclusion

Staff shortages are a major obstacle to providing good-quality emergency obstetric care, and women are often dissatisfied with the care they receive during childbirth.

Supporting Evidence

  • 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries.
  • Women often express dissatisfaction with the care received during childbirth.
  • Staff shortages weaken the quality of emergency obstetric care.

Takeaway

This study shows that having enough trained doctors and nurses is really important for keeping mothers safe during childbirth, but many women feel unhappy with the care they get.

Methodology

A systematic literature review was conducted using two electronic databases and specific keywords related to emergency obstetric care.

Potential Biases

The study may not fully represent the quality of care due to the exclusion of unpublished studies and potential biases in the selected literature.

Limitations

The review may be subject to publication bias as it only includes studies from computerized databases and excludes grey literature.

Participant Demographics

The studies reviewed primarily focused on developing countries with varying levels of maternal mortality.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1478-4491-7-7

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication