Abstract
Background: Patient satisfaction, a measure of the extent to which a patient is content with the health care which he or she receives from his or her health care provider, is an effective means of evaluating the performance of a hospital leading to service improvement and attraction of more patients. In a country whose leadership currently calls for change of attitude of the citizenry, it is pertinent to assess how this change has been accepted in health institutions, especially among the most stigmatized group of patients, by assessing the latter’s level of satisfaction with the quality of services provided. Objectives: The study, carried out over a period of six months (1st May to 30th October, 2016), assessed the satisfaction of patients with the quality of care provided at the psychiatric outpatient department of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria. Methods: Data were extracted from eligible participants using a sociodemographic/clinical profile questionnaire and the Charleston Psychiatric Outpatient Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: 422 patients (53.6% males, 46.4% females) participated. Their mean age was 32.20 ± 11.35 years. Schizophrenia was the commonest diagnosis. The respondents appeared quite satisfied with the quality of services. Satisfaction with the helpfulness of the record officers was topmost in the administrative scale (92.9%) with satisfaction with the amount of time waited to be seen by doctor, the least (76.3%) while on the environmental scale, appearance of the doctor’s consulting room was most satisfying (93.4%) and cost of service the least (73.5%). 90.5% were satisfied with the overall quality of service provided and 94.8% indicated willingness to recommend the facility to others. Satisfaction was most affected by self-perceived mental and physical health. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction is a simple way to evaluate hospital services. Continual assessment of patient satisfaction is recommended to enable authorities improve on areas considered less satisfactory while sustaining service areas deemed highly satisfactory.
Highlights
Patient satisfaction is one of the barometers that reflect how well a health care system is working as it is a measure of the extent to which a patient is content with the health care that he or she receives from the provider [1]
Patient satisfaction, a measure of the extent to which a patient is content with the health care which he or she receives from his or her health care provider, is an effective means of evaluating the performance of a hospital leading to service improvement and attraction of more patients
In a country whose leadership currently calls for change of attitude of the citizenry, it is pertinent to assess how this change has been accepted in health institutions, especially among the most stigmatized group of patients, by assessing the latter’s level of satisfaction with the quality of services provided
Summary
Patient satisfaction is one of the barometers that reflect how well a health care system is working as it is a measure of the extent to which a patient is content with the health care that he or she receives from the provider [1]. A measure of the extent to which a patient is content with the health care which he or she receives from his or her health care provider, is an effective means of evaluating the performance of a hospital leading to service improvement and attraction of more patients. Satisfaction with the helpfulness of the record officers was topmost in the administrative scale (92.9%) with satisfaction with the amount of time waited to be seen by doctor, the least (76.3%) while on the environmental scale, appearance of the doctor’s consulting room was most satisfying (93.4%) and cost of service the least (73.5%). 90.5% were satisfied with the overall quality of service provided
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