Percepción y satisfacción de las usuarias de hospitales públicos de Ciudad de Panamá sobre el tacto vaginal durante el trabajo de parto Perception and satisfaction of users of public hospitals in Panama City about vaginal examination during labor

Objective: To describe women’s perception of and satisfaction with vaginal examinations performed during labor in public hospitals in Ciudad de Panama. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 346 women in labor at public hospitals in Ciudad de Panama between April-August 2008. Prticipants were given a questionnaire with 20 statements about their perception of vaginal examinations and the performance of health professionals; answers were scored with a Likert scale ranging from 1 10 points. Results: On average women received 5.7 ± 3.5 vaginal examinations. The notional satisfaction index was 72%. The 97.1% of patients were very satisfied or satisfied with the experience of labor, while 2.9% mentioned being less than satisfied (p<0.001). The perception of the medical performance in the vaginal examinations during labor averaged 8.4 ± 1.9 (on a maximum of 10 points). We found an association between satisfaction and perception of medical performance OR = 12.8 (95% CI 3.3-50.2). Conclusion: The 97.1% of women were satisfied with the experience of vaginal examination during labor, although vaginal examination was performed more than recommended, confirming that women accept the procedure as long as it is necessary, explained, and performed with respect for their dignity.