CM Leung, HY Chan, KY Chan, AML Chung, JCW Lai, SSL Leung

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to understand the perception of Maternal and Child Health Centre clients in relation to their satisfaction with child health services, using a qualitative approach. The participants included 25 Chinese mothers with children from 18 to 24 months, who were current Maternal and Child Health Centre users, and their opinions were collected via focus group and individual interviews. Several themes were detected in relation to reasons for use of service, personal feelings and experiences, and suggestions for improvement. The issue of communication with staff members was the central theme. Participants appreciated two-way interaction with understanding staff members where they could get answers to their questions about their children in privacy. Satisfactory two-way communication between clients and staff members in a suitable environment could potentially alleviate feelings of anxiety, confusion, embarrassment and depersonalisation. Failure in communication could potentially aggravate feelings of anxiety, confusion and depersonalisation.