Investigation of Patient-Physician Relationship and Ante-natal Seeking Behaviour in Public Hospitals, Ogun State, Nigeria

The role of the patient-physician relationship as an underpinning factor that may inhibit or stimulate early pregnancy booking among women in Ijebu, Ogun State, was investigated in this study. The study used a survey and an in-depth interview as part of a triangulation strategy. Ijebu-Ode accounted for 32.2 % (141) of the whole sample, whereas Ijebu-Igbo accounted for 64.8% (259) of the total sample. A structured questionnaire was given to 400 consenting women who were attending ante-natal clinics (ANC) sessions in hospitals in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo who were chosen at random. Furthermore, a stratified sampling procedure was used to choose ten percent of the women for in-depth interviews. In addition, ten in-depth interviews (IDIs) with gynaecologists, nurses, and other health care professionals were undertaken. The study discovered a non-cordial relationship between physicians and antenatal patients, which contributes to late pregnancy booking and inconsistent ANC attendance by pregnant women. Many pregnant women avoid ANC because of the physician's uncooperative style, which includes not paying enough attention and using aggressive, unclear, and ambiguous language that are incomprehensible to patients who are hardly literate. According to the findings, women's early pregnancy booking may be influenced by their proximity and reciprocal relationship with their doctor. As a result, it is recommended that physicians pay close attention to their patient relationships, and that appropriate government, agency, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) foster the transmission of maternal health education.