How satisfied are mothers with 1-day hospital stays for routine delivery?

CONTEXT: Payers and health plans are encouraging shorter hospital stays after routine vaginal delivery. OBJECTIVE: To assess the satisfaction of mothers who had 1-day or 2-day stays after routine delivery. DESIGN: We mailed questionnaires to mothers 7 to 9 months after delivery. The self-administered survey contained questions about the mothers' satisfaction with the care they received, clinical complications, and the mothers' preparedness after discharge. SETTING: A mixed-staff, network-model managed care plan in Minnesota that encourages but does not require 1-day hospital stays after routine delivery. PARTICIPANTS: All plan members who delivered a baby vaginally in the first quarter of 1995 (n = 1009). RESULTS: 56% of the mothers responded to the survey. Of these, 202 had 1-day stays and 292 had 2-day stays. Mothers with 1-day stays were more likely than mothers with 2-day stays to report that their length of stay was "too short" (75% vs. 37%; P < 0.001), and 81% of mothers with 1-day stays would want to stay longer if they had another child. The frequency of self-reported maternal or infant complications did not differ substantially between the two groups. More mothers with 1-day stays than mothers with 2-day stays received home health care visits (44% vs. 10%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Although length of stay does not seem to be related to clinical outcomes after vaginal delivery, mothers with 1-day stays are less satisfied with their length of stay.