Journal of Human Growth and Development
Print version ISSN 0104-1282
Abstract
LINO, Helena da Costa and DINIZ, Simone G.. "You take care of the baby's clothes and i take care of the delivery" - communication between professionals and patients and decisions about the mode of delivery in the private sector in São Paulo, Brazil. Rev. bras. crescimento desenvolv. hum. [online]. 2015, vol.25, n.1, pp.117-124. ISSN 0104-1282. https://doi.org/10.7322/JHGD.96825.
High rates of cesarean sections and invasive interventions in labor and delivery, disregarding recommendations on safety and quality of healthcare characterize childbirth care in the Brazilian private sector. We aimed to understand how professionals and patients communicate about risks and benefits of the interventions and take decisions in the Internet era. We interviewed 28 professionals and female users of the private health sector in São Paulo, including those we will call "typical" and "atypical" of the national scenario. The communication about procedures among "typical" patients was scarce, biased or actively blocked, tending to strengthen a behaved attitude. "Atypical" patients sought further information from professionals and peer groups and used more Internet resources (discussion lists, evidence websites and narrative banks). The availability of such information allows more women to seek a care aligned to their values and notions of rights, frequently confronting the medical authority, creating needs to be (or not to be) satisfied.
Keywords : natural birth; cesarean; supplementary health; satisfaction with care; gender.