Client Satisfaction with Quality of Health Care in a Rural area in Southern India.

Ganguly Enakshi,Kumar Sharma Pawan

doi:10.5897/jphe2014.0625

Abstract

Client satisfaction is an important method to assess the pattern of utilization of health care services amongst all sectors indirectly reflecting on the quality of services. Most of the clients prefer private over government services due to multiple reasons. To assess the level of satisfaction of patients attending rural government and private health facilities in rural Andhra Pradesh. Ten villages were randomly selected from the field practice area of a teaching medical institution, and all patients who visited any facility during the past three months were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire focusing on access to care, competence of the providers, quality and cost of the services and overall satisfaction with the services. Data was analysed using Microsoft Access software. One hundred and eight clients who visited different facilities for common ailments, chronic diseases, maternal and child health services were interviewed. The average time to reach the facility was 52.23 ± 44.52 minutes. The average waiting time was 34.25 ± 42.47 minutes. More than 80% were satisfied with the clinic hours, cleanliness and comfort of the facility, and privacy maintained during examinations. 40% were satisfied with the cost of services. The client satisfaction with different health care providers in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh is high. Clients expect the quality of services to be better; nevertheless they continue to use the available services without complaining much.

Highlights

IntroductionAssessing outcomes has merits as an indicator of the effectiveness of different interventions on one hand, and as part of a monitoring system directed to improving quality of care as well as detecting its deterioration on the other (Aldana et al, 2001; Epstein, 1990)
Quality of health care in developing countries, borrowing mainly from findings in developed countries, has gained increased attention in recent years, wherein outcomes have received special emphasis as a measure of quality.Assessing outcomes has merits as an indicator of the effectiveness of different interventions on one hand, and as part of a monitoring system directed to improving quality of care as well as detecting its deterioration on the other (Aldana et al, 2001; Epstein, 1990)
Health care services in the area comprise of several private hospitals and clinics providing allopathic and Ayurvedic treatments, a tertiary care teaching medical institution, two primary health centres and a district hospital run by the government, and faith healers with no formal medical training

Summary

Introduction

Assessing outcomes has merits as an indicator of the effectiveness of different interventions on one hand, and as part of a monitoring system directed to improving quality of care as well as detecting its deterioration on the other (Aldana et al, 2001; Epstein, 1990). Quality assessment studies usually measure costs, medical outcomes or client satisfaction. Clients were asked to assess their health status after receiving care, and their satisfaction with the services received (Fisher, 1971). Characteristics of the health care providers and services that influence patient satisfaction were proposed by Ware et al (1977), whose dimensions included: art of care (caring attitude); technical quality of care; accessibility.

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