Health professionals and patients’ perspectives on person-centred maternal and child healthcare in Burkina Faso

Abstract

The person-centred approach (PCA) is a promising avenue for care improvement. However, health professionals in Burkina Faso (hereafter referred to as caregivers) seem unprepared for taking into consideration patients' preferences and values in the context of healthcare provision. Objective To understand the meaning attributed to PCA in the Burkina Faso context of care and to identify the challenges related to its adoption from the perspective of caregivers and women service users (hereafter referred to as patients). Methods An ethnographic qualitative research design was used in this study. We conducted 31 semidirected interviews with caregivers and patients from Koudougou (Burkina Faso) healthcare facilities. We also carried out direct observation of consultations. Data thematic analyses are based on the person-centred approach analysis framework. Results According to the caregivers and patients interviewed, the PCA in maternal and child healthcare in Burkina Faso includes the following five components used in our analytical framework: i) pregnancy follow-up consultations extend beyond examining physical health issues (biopsychosocial component), ii) healthcare professionals' mood affects the caregiverpatient relationship as well as care delivery (the healthcare professional as a person), iii)