An investigation of the present situation of labour analgesia in comprehensive Grade 3A hospitals in Fujian Province, China

Objective: To investigate the present situation of labour analgesia in comprehensive Grade 3A hospitals in Fujian Province, to analyse the influencing factors, and to seek countermeasures to promote the popularization of labour analgesia. Methods: The investigation was conducted at all Western medicine comprehensive Grade 3A hospitals in Fujian Province, field investigations and on-site questionnaire surveys were adopted, and on-site interviews were conducted with leaders in charge of the hospitals and leaders related to departments of labour analgesia. Results: Among the 16 hospitals surveyed, 12 hospitals (75%) routinely carried out intraspinal labour analgesia, and the analgesia rates for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 were 0.24%, 1.43%, 2.34% and 9.21%, respectively. At present, the quantity of labour analgesia is insufficient, the proportion of analgesia is still low, and the enthusiasm of hospitals is not high. Factors affecting the development of labour analgesia mainly include a heavy workload/lack of staff (93.75%), department coordination/leadership (87.50%), high cost/low benefit (62.50%), maternal and family members (68.75%), and insufficient publicity (68.75%). Conclusions: The labour analgesia work of the comprehensive Grade 3A hospitals in Fujian Province is still in its initial stage; there is still a lack of uniform implementation standards and charging standards among hospitals in various cities. To better promote labour analgesia, it is suggested that hospitals increase the publicity of labour analgesia, strengthen the training of labour analgesia personnel, standardize the implementation standard of labour analgesia, set up appropriate charging items, and optimize labour analgesia management while appropriately supplementing medical personnel