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The Right to Information: An Assessment of Patients’ Perceptions and Satisfaction in a University Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Cotonou

Received: 6 October 2021     Accepted: 27 October 2021     Published: 17 November 2021
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Abstract

The right to information is a fundamental right for women, who are vulnerable during the perimaternity period. This study aimed to assess and appraise women’s perceptions of their right to information and the practices of medical teams of maternity wards regarding this matter. This cross-sectional study was carried out for 3 months in the first University Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Cotonou. The female patients included in the study attended this maternity hospital for antenatal care or childbirth. The data collected were analysed and processed with SPSS V.25 software. Three hundred female patients were recruited within the framework of the study. Their mean age was 28±5 years. Most of the respondents were educated (78.4%) and considered that access to information was a right vested to them (68.3%). There was a statistically significant association between that perception and patients’ educational levels or status. A large proportion of patients (88%) were satisfied with how information was delivered to them. Information related to diagnoses, paraclinical examinations and drug treatments was spontaneously transmitted in 37.7%, 55.6% and 27.7% of cases, respectively. Only 23.7% of the women who gave birth were provided information about the vaccines administered to their child at birth. Our findings provide evidence that maternity hospital users are aware of their right to their information. However, the medical team does not incorporate all the components of this right.

Published in Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Volume 9, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.jgo.20210906.15
Page(s) 212-216
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Medical Ethics, Information for Patients, Informed Consent, Obstetrical Care, Human Right, Medial Responsibility

References
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[3] Laude A. Le droit à l’information du malade [The patient right to information. Trib Santé 2005; 9 (4): 43-51.
[4] Burton-Jeangros C, Hammer R. Information seeking on the internet: what information are pregnant women seeking? Rev Med Suisse 2013; 9 (383): 895-7.
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[6] Houngnihin RA, Sossou AJ. Understanding failure of obstetric referral to the Cotonou University gynecology and obstetrics clinic. Santé Publique 2017; 29 (5): 719. Doi: 10.3917/spub.175.0719.
[7] Okunade K, Okunola H, Oyeneyin L, Habeeb-Adeyemi F. Cross-sectional study on the obstetric performance of primigravidae in a teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Niger Med J 2016; 57 (5): 303. DOI: 10.4103/0300-1652.190595.
[8] Mongbo V, Ouendo E-M, De Brouwere V, Alexander S, Dujardin B, Makoutodé M, et al. Quality of ceasarean delivery: A cross-sectional study in 12 hospitals in Benin. Rev DÉpidémiologie Santé Publique 2016; 64 (4): 281-93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respe.2016.02.009
[9] Botti K, Ebouat K, Djodjo M, Konate Z, Djodiro G, Yapo Ette H. Study of patients relatives expectations about informations delivered by physician in Cote d’Ivoire. J Med Leg Droit Méd Vict Dommage Corpor 2017; 2 (2): 19-24.
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[12] Zagaja A, Patryn R, Pawlikowski J, Sak J. Informed Consent in Obligatory Vaccinations? Med Sci Monit Int Med J Exp Clin Res 2018; 24: 8506-9. DOI: 10.12659/MSM.910393.
[13] Reiss DR, Karako-Eyal N. Informed Consent to Vaccination: Theoretical, Legal, and Empirical Insights. Am J Law Med. 2019; 45 (4): 357-419. doi: 14.1177/0098858819892745. PMID: 31973669.
[14] Benin, Présidence de la République. Ordonnance 73-14 du 08/02/1973 Instituant un code de déontologie médicale. 1973; https://sgg.gouv.bj/doc/ordonnance-1973-14/
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Cedric Egnonwa Bigot, Angele Azon Kouanou, Narcisse Vigan, Patrice Dangbemey, Kouessi Anthelme Agbodande, et al. (2021). The Right to Information: An Assessment of Patients’ Perceptions and Satisfaction in a University Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Cotonou. Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 9(6), 212-216. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20210906.15

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    ACS Style

    Cedric Egnonwa Bigot; Angele Azon Kouanou; Narcisse Vigan; Patrice Dangbemey; Kouessi Anthelme Agbodande, et al. The Right to Information: An Assessment of Patients’ Perceptions and Satisfaction in a University Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Cotonou. J. Gynecol. Obstet. 2021, 9(6), 212-216. doi: 10.11648/j.jgo.20210906.15

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    AMA Style

    Cedric Egnonwa Bigot, Angele Azon Kouanou, Narcisse Vigan, Patrice Dangbemey, Kouessi Anthelme Agbodande, et al. The Right to Information: An Assessment of Patients’ Perceptions and Satisfaction in a University Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Cotonou. J Gynecol Obstet. 2021;9(6):212-216. doi: 10.11648/j.jgo.20210906.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jgo.20210906.15,
      author = {Cedric Egnonwa Bigot and Angele Azon Kouanou and Narcisse Vigan and Patrice Dangbemey and Kouessi Anthelme Agbodande and Christiane Tshabu Aguemon},
      title = {The Right to Information: An Assessment of Patients’ Perceptions and Satisfaction in a University Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Cotonou},
      journal = {Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics},
      volume = {9},
      number = {6},
      pages = {212-216},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jgo.20210906.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20210906.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jgo.20210906.15},
      abstract = {The right to information is a fundamental right for women, who are vulnerable during the perimaternity period. This study aimed to assess and appraise women’s perceptions of their right to information and the practices of medical teams of maternity wards regarding this matter. This cross-sectional study was carried out for 3 months in the first University Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Cotonou. The female patients included in the study attended this maternity hospital for antenatal care or childbirth. The data collected were analysed and processed with SPSS V.25 software. Three hundred female patients were recruited within the framework of the study. Their mean age was 28±5 years. Most of the respondents were educated (78.4%) and considered that access to information was a right vested to them (68.3%). There was a statistically significant association between that perception and patients’ educational levels or status. A large proportion of patients (88%) were satisfied with how information was delivered to them. Information related to diagnoses, paraclinical examinations and drug treatments was spontaneously transmitted in 37.7%, 55.6% and 27.7% of cases, respectively. Only 23.7% of the women who gave birth were provided information about the vaccines administered to their child at birth. Our findings provide evidence that maternity hospital users are aware of their right to their information. However, the medical team does not incorporate all the components of this right.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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Author Information
  • Unit of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Heath Science, Cotonou, Benin

  • Department of Internal Medicine and medical oncology, National and University Teaching Hospital Hubert Koutoukou Maga, Cotonou, Benin

  • Unit of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Heath Science, Cotonou, Benin

  • Unit of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Heath Science, Cotonou, Benin

  • Department of Internal Medicine and medical oncology, National and University Teaching Hospital Hubert Koutoukou Maga, Cotonou, Benin

  • Unit of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Heath Science, Cotonou, Benin

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