Quality of family planning counseling Among ANC Followers at SPHMMC ANC clinic
Abstract
Every women in the reproductive age has a right to accurate, appropriate, understandable, and unambiguous information related to reproductive health in all parts of the health care facility.
Family planning is defined as the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of involuntary infertility.
Family planning is a means of promoting the health of women and families and part of a strategy to reduce the high maternal, infant and child mortality. People shall be offered the opportunity to determine the number and spacing of their own children. Information about FP should be made available, and should actively promote access to FP services for all individuals desiring them.
Counseling is an important task of service providers. All clients have to be counseled to assist them make an informed voluntary choice and decision regarding fertility and contraception. Information should be provided regarding all available methods of contraception used. Advantages and expected contraceptive side effects as well as the steps to be taken if and when the clients have side effects. Knowledge of the common misconceptions about each method is an added advantage to the counselor and efforts should be made to address clients concerns and fears about specific methods. FP workers should ensure confidentiality and privacy to potential clients. After counseling on all available methods, clients should be helped to make an informed decision.
While respecting clients rights and supporting informed decision making as well as ensuring method-mix is central to quality FP service, the FP program should focus on highly effective contraceptive methods with particular emphasis on long-term methods. Dual use should be strongly recommended to all clients.
The Quality Improvement (QI) process is an effort to continuously do things better until they are done right the first time every time. Quality services are those that meet the needs of your clients (or customers) and are provided in a manner consistent with accepted standards and guidelines. The concepts that clients have rights and that staff have needs are internationally accepted as the basis for quality health care.
Quality in health care is defined as providing client-centered, safe, equitable, accessible, efficient and effective services.