Since 2022, the hospital has been anonymously gathering feedback from mothers to improve birth and breastfeeding care, in line with international quality standards.
The Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital (HUMV) has implemented a range of improvements in recent years to offer more personalized, evidence-based, and compassionate care during childbirth and the initiation of breastfeeding. Among the most notable initiatives are the updating of clinical protocols, the development of specific breastfeeding guidelines, the implementation of ongoing training programs for healthcare professionals, and the introduction of Neonatal Rooming-In in the Maternity Ward. This measure allows some newborns requiring special care to remain with their mothers. These efforts have directly contributed to enhancing the experience of women giving birth at the hospital.
As part of this continuous improvement process, in 2022 Valdecilla launched a pioneering care evaluation project in the Maternity Ward, which anonymously and voluntarily collects mothers’ experiences after childbirth. The initiative, promoted by the Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) and the hospital’s Nursing Directorate, is funded by the 23rd Valdecilla Nursing Research Project Call (ENFVAL21-05) and is carried out in accordance with international standards set by two programs to which Valdecilla is affiliated: the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (IHAN strategy) and the Best Practice Spotlight Organizations® Program (BPSO®).
Through a simple online questionnaire, accessible via a QR code that patients can scan before hospital discharge, the hospital gathers key information on the care received during labor, the support provided in the baby’s first hours of life, assistance with initiating and maintaining breastfeeding, and support for mothers who choose not to breastfeed. The results obtained so far show a high level of satisfaction among mothers and help inform clinical and organizational decisions based on their real needs.
In addition to the care component, the project includes digital tools that allow for continuous evaluation of clinical practices and monitoring of quality indicators related to breastfeeding. This comprehensive approach is further strengthened by the formation of a multidisciplinary team made up of professionals from various specialties involved in maternal and newborn care, promoting more coordinated, efficient, and family-centered care.
HUMV’s Deputy Director of Nursing, Carolina Lechosa, highlights that “this initiative has been developed over the years in line with the indicators set by the IHAN strategy. Additionally, we have worked intensively to implement the BPSO Breastfeeding Guideline.” These initiatives generate synergies and are part of a broader institutional commitment, as the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital is currently undergoing the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (IHAN) accreditation process. Thanks to this sustained effort, the hospital was recently designated as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®), a recognition of its leadership in promoting best practices and continuous quality improvement in healthcare.
For Lorena Lasarte, Supervisor of the HUMV Obstetric Inpatient Unit and Principal Investigator of the project, “the mothers’ opinions are extremely valuable because they allow us to adapt our care to their real needs. Their experiences motivate us to make tangible changes so we can improve our care every day.”
Through this initiative, the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital reaffirms its commitment to more humane and personalized care, placing mothers and their families at the heart of the healthcare process. The project represents an effective tool for continuing to move toward a healthcare model that listens, accompanies, and responds to people’s real expectations at one of the most significant moments in their lives.
