Abstract:
Background: There is limited information on the impact of effective healthcare provider-patient communication on
facility-based delivery in Malawi. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of communication in the
maternity ward, identify facilitators and barriers to healthcare provider-patient communication, and understand
how they affect maternal healthcare.
Methods: This was a descriptive study that used qualitative data collection and analysis methods. Data were
collected through face-to-face in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide to collect information about
women’s perceptions of their communication with healthcare providers. A total of 30 in-depth interviews were
conducted with women admitted for delivery in six health facilities drawn from three administrative regions
in Malawi. The information collected focused on the communication that pregnant women had with healthcare
providers, their perception of that communication, and the barriers to effective communication. A thematic approach
was used for data analysis.
Results: The main themes that emerged regarding the nature of communication between healthcare providers and
patients were: 1) good healthcare provider-patient interaction; 2) verbal abuse and lack of respect; 3) failure by
healthcare providers to answer or entertain questions; 4) linguistic barriers to communication and lack of competency
in non-verbal communication; and 5) discrimination due to one’s status.
Conclusion: This study has revealed the existence of some communication barriers such as disrespecting and verbally
abusing pregnant women, language limitations by some healthcare providers and discrimination due to one’s status
which are affecting maternal service delivery in some health facilities in Malawi. The study has also shown
that pregnant women who are happy with the way healthcare providers communicate with them have the
motivation to deliver at a health facility. There is a need, therefore, to develop an intervention that could help healthcare
providers to communicate better with their patients.
