Scaling up maternal health in Palestinian hospitals (completed)

Why do women get poor care during normal childbirth? This research question led to an initiative for scaling up the quality of maternal health services in Palestinian hospitals in 2005.

Women in Palestine

Photo: colourbox

Objectives

The ultimate aim for this Ph.D. operational research project was to promote the quality of maternal health care services.

Outcomes

Article 1) The quality of maternity care in a large Palestinian public referral hospital was explored by describing the usual practices during childbirth, identifying the gaps in the provided care, and identifying reasons for substandard care during childbirth. This assessment was a first step in providing baseline data for upgrading service provision and preparing a receptive context for change by interventions. (Published)

Article 2) The challenges and barriers faced by Palestinian maternal health care providers in the provision of quality maternal health care services were explored through a case study of a Palestinian public referral hospital in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (Published)

Article 3) This article will describe the impact of implementing multifaceted interventions on the quality of maternal health care in a governmental hospital in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The hypothesis is that even with the use of multifaceted interventions, the implementation of evidence into practice in maternity care provided in a politically complex poor resource context may not possible. The hypothesis also assumes that implementing evidence into practice requires parallel improvements in the structures, resources, financial incentives and active involvement of top management.

Article 4) This article will explore Palestinian women's views, insights, feelings and experiences when having vaginal examinations during labor. The hypothesis is that Palestinian women experience frequent inappropriate vaginal examinations during childbirth and that they believe that this will assist in progress of their labor.

Publications

  • Hassan-Bitar S. and Wick L. 2007. Evoking the Guardian Angel: Childbirth Care in a Palestinian Hospital. Reproductive Health Matters 15 (30): 103-113.
  • Hassan-Bitar S, and Narraine S. 2011. ‘shedding light’ on the challenges faced by Palestinian maternal health care providers. Midwifery 27 (2): 154-159

Financing

  • Theodor-Springmann Foundation

Cooperation

  • Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Occupied Palestinian Territory

Project start and finish

Start 2005 till 2011

Published May 16, 2011 4:06 PM - Last modified Jan. 31, 2017 10:10 AM

Contact

Professor

Espen Bjertness

PhD-student

Sahar J. Hassan

Participants

Detailed list of participants