The Importance of Client Satisfaction for Improving the Quality of Abortion Care

Elizabeth Oliveras, Harvard University
Patricia David, John Snow, Inc.

This paper explores client satisfaction with abortion care, looking both at overall satisfaction and at satisfaction with specific aspects of care. The analysis aimed to determine whether client satisfaction was related to the characteristics of the client or to the care received, in order to guide quality improvement efforts. Survey data from abortion clients in three cities in Russia were analyzed using logistic regression. Information provided to abortion clients was the most important predictor of client satisfaction for abortion clients in these cities. This suggests that improving the information provided to clients, by training providers and other staff, is important in these settings. Client characteristics, in general, did not affect client satisfaction though there were significant differences in overall satisfaction for married and unmarried women. Finally, the characteristics of the abortion visit were not related to client satisfaction with care.