Patient Satisfaction in Outpatient Clinic

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Patient satisfaction is considered a significant outcome measure for health services. In addition, consumer or patient contentment is defined as quality performance by health professionals in the health care industry. There is a need for researchers to go beyond the recognition of socio-demographic and institutional variables linked with patient contentment. Patient or consumer fulfillment may rely on various patient individualities such as age, sex, educational background and socio-economic status it also varies from region to region. Moreover, the determination to satisfy patients includes methodological difficulties. Patient satisfaction research and surveys endeavor to recognize the ways and terms in which patients make out health services provided in their health centers. Through these in-depth research and studies the community can voice and affirm the importance of their experience from services provided in health centers (Wonrt, 1987). Attaching importance to the visions of people because of consumerism and self-governing principles, and being prejudiced by the recommendations of friends or family about preferred medical doctors or health centers are just some of the numerous factors of increasing importance given to patient satisfaction in the health industry. Without patient or consumer contentment, it is therefore impossible to talk about qualified utility. These are simply some expectations of patients from their health providers. For example, patients want their demands for health care heard and adhered to as well as easy accessibility to a wider range of services. However, patients have frequently complained of being ignored by members of main health care teams whenever they articulate their visions. Patients would assume greater responsibility for their individual health if at all they were equipped with ample and necessary information about their situation and about how to look after themselves in future. The research found out that communications, cost, continuity of service and providers, physical environment of clinic, humanity, information, time spent on patient, technical quality, official procedures, doctor’s gender and nursing care greatly influenced patient or consumer satisfaction. The research shows that patients having to wait for long periods than necessary, having no substitute appointment and possessing inadequate information are some of the sources of dissatisfaction in outpatient clinics. Additionally, service provider personal behavior has been noted as an important determinant of adolescents’ satisfaction with their health care centers. There are extensive varieties of methods readily available for measuring patient satisfaction, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches (Gibson and Alikns, 1994). This research on patient satisfaction could have been evaluated by using a number of other effective methods such as interviews, self-completed questionnaires, phone surveys, observations and remark cards some of which have advantages over others and some of which go together with each other; however, the use of closed questionnaire was deemed more quite practical. This study has been performed to establish the level of outpatient contentment and related factors in health centers.

Materials and Methods

A descriptive study of medical care satisfaction was carried out in primary health care centers. This research was applied on a small sample in and around populated city centers. Health centers in targeted cities are staffed by a team consisting of a physician, nurse, midwife, health technician and medical secretary and render medical services to a population of between 5,000 – 10,000 (Clemagen, 1994). The following are the major purposes of health centers in these regions:

Caring for patients without beds.
Prevention and treatment of communicable diseases amidst the population.
Infant immunization.
Maternal, family planning and child health services.
Public health education and environmental health education.
Statistical data collection concerning health.

Model size was determined by using a formula for a poise level of 95% and a power of hypothesis of 80%. The percentage of outpatient who received medical services from university hospital exceeds the number of patients that receives healthcare services from health care centers. The huddle effect was well thought-out because one cluster was considered from each health center and sovereign variables taken into deliberation can have three categories approximately. In order to obtain the opinions of patients, a questionnaire consisting of demographic data measuring the contentment of outpatients was developed (Ben, 1997). The questionnaire considered factors such as accessibility, humaneness, technological excellence, courteousness of relations between patient and medical doctor or health staff, and overall satisfaction. It went further to consider other demographic features such as age, sex, matrimonial status and education level. The reliant variables are satisfaction score with health center services and ratio of contentment (Avis and Bond, 1997).

Results

Interviewed patients were predominately women at 68.3%. The ages of these patients ranged between 18 years and 75 years. The fraction of patients’ content with outpatient therapeutic care from health centers was found to be 70.0%. This fraction was evaluated according to self-governing variables, though no relation was seen between the fraction of contentment and gender and matrimonial status. The ratio of satisfaction among elderly and illiterate subjects was found to be higher than for younger and educated subjects. According to this calculation, the ratio of satisfaction regarding the adequacy of equipment was the lowest (57%). On the other hand, the ratio of satisfaction regarding the humaneness of physicians and nurses was the highest (Lucas and Kunrt, 1999).

Discussion

The findings of the study were considered valid following the undeniable and satisfactory consistency and the level of reliability of the respondents. The satisfaction level of people included in this study is between high and reasonable. This ratio is similar to the ratio of outpatient satisfaction (75%) with university hospitals around the targeted region. There might be several reasons for this situation. First, patients obtained health care as soon as they required it (Andrzejski and Lagua, 1997). Second, the expectations of people in regards to health services in developing nations may be lower. In addition, while using the 4-point scale may elevate the satisfaction score. When the environment is more comfortable and extra time is available it is possible to use a five-point scale. Generally, patients rate health services positively and are very or extremely satisfied with medical care, though patient satisfaction varies from country to country.

Conclusion

In conclusion, most outpatients are satisfied with health centers in the targeted region. However, important subjects complained about are inadequacy of equipment, inadequate examination time, difficulty of transport, information not given by the physician, health problems not solved completely, and waiting time (Andrew, 1997). According to our results, in order to improve the quality of patient care in primary health services, technical problems such as inadequacy of equipment and transport should be taken into consideration. The complaints of patients should be taken into consideration by the administration and staff of health centers. To overcome the other complaints mentioned above, we believe that health providers in any given city or region should be informed about the results of studies on outpatients satisfaction with health centers (Jefferson, 1994).

References

Andrew, E. (1997). Health care patient report cards: What do patients and families really want to know? What should they want to know? J Nurs Care Qual 11, 38-41.

Andrzejski, N., & Lagua, R. T. (1997). Use of customer satisfaction survey by health care regulators: A tool for total quality management, Pu b Health Rep 112, 206-10.

Avis, M., & Bond, A. (1997). Questioning patient satisfaction: An empirical investigation in two outpatient clinics. Soc Sci Med 44, 85-92.

Ben, Y., Barry, M., & Reeve H. (1997). Patients’ views on their discharge from follow up in outpatient clinics: Qualitative study. BMJ 315, 1138-4.

Clemagen, C. (1994). Patient satisfaction: The power of an untapped resource. Can Med Assoc J 150, 1771-2.

Gibson, L., Alikns, M. (1994). Community satisfaction with primary health care services: An evaluation undertaken in the Morogoro region of Tanzania. Soc Sci Med 39, 767-80.

Jefferson, B. (1994). Patient satisfaction: A valid concept? Soc Sci Med 38, 509-516,

Lucas, D., & Kunrt, D. (1999). Theoretical and methodological issues in sociological studies of consumer satisfaction with medical care. Soc Sci Med 12, 283-92.

Neligher, J. (1998). Primary care: Core values patients’ priorities. BMJ 317, 260-2.

Wonrt, H. (1987). Patient satisfaction: An attribute or indicator of quality care? Qual Rev Bull 13, 106-8.

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