Perceptions of clients regarding family planning service delivery in a clinic of the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council

Abstract

Unwanted pregnancies with their negative impact on both women and children occur on an ongoing basis in Gauteng, South Africa. One way to prevent unwanted pregnancies is to use a reliable contraceptive method available free of charge from primary health care clinics providing family planning services throughout Gauteng Province. A literature review was completed on women and access to family planning services and an interview schedule (questionnaire) was developed. The purpose of this study was to describe guidelines to meet the expectations of clients accessing family planning services provided by a clinic in Region F, Area 28 of the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan council. This quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and comparative study measured the gaps between the expectations of participants on service delivery and the extent to which these expectations were met. A convenience sample was conducted and consisted of 50 women of reproductive age (ages 15 to 49) attending the family planning clinic. Pre-testing of the instrument was conducted. Structured interviews with a interview schedule were conducted before and after women attended a family planning service. Inferential statistics indicated that there was a significant gap between the client expectations of family planning service delivery and the extent to which these expectations were met. Of the sixty-four items where women indicated the extent of their expectations the findings on only three items were not statistically significant. These gaps were addressed by proposing managerial guidelines to be implemented by the nurse manager in charge of the facility, on which this article will focus. Validity and reliability principles were ensured in the study. Ethical principles were adhered to during the research process.