Assessment of obstetrician-patient relationship and stress levels experienced by women in healthy pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by maternal or fetal factors

Abstract

Pregnancy is a special period in the life of a woman and her family, resulting in biological, social and psychological changes. Each pregnancy, even one non-burdened with social and obstetric risk, is a stressful situation (Dulude et al, 2002). For each pregnancy, the obstetrician-patient relationship and the level of the woman's confidence in the obstetrician become important. Patient's trust is one of the components of the satisfaction with medical care, which is a determinant as to adherence to the doctor's recommendations, leading to better clinical effects of the health care itself (Kurpas, Sapilak, Steciwko, 2006). The aim of this study was to assess the obstetrician-patient relationship during pregnancy and the stress levels experienced in four groups of women, selected on the basis of their pregnancy – healthy pregnancy and high-risk pregnancy complicated by: a fetal factor, a maternal factor or both factors. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between stress and trust towards the obstetrician in the studied groups. The research was conducted on a total of 242 women applying for follow-up examinations to the obstetrician or staying in the department of pregnancy pathology. The following measurement methods were used in the research: Global Stress Scale PSS-10 and the Trust in Physician Scale. The analyses have shown significant differences among the studied groups regarding the assessment of the magnitude of stress experienced and the assessment of confidence level towards the obstetrician. The magnitude of stress was negatively correlated with the level of trust towards the obstetrician only in the group of women in high-risk pregnancy complicated by a fetal factor.