Quality perceived by two populations assigned to two health care centers in the province of Cuenca

Abstract

To render quality service, it is essential to know the opinion users have of the service in question. The purpose of this study is that of gauging and comparing the quality perceived by two populations assigned to two health care centers in the province of Cuenca. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The Basic Health Care Districts studied were the Cardenete Health Care Center and the Motilla del Palancar Health Care Center, both within the Cuenca Health Care District. The source of information was personal health care card. A random sampling layered by age and gender percentages was taken. The perceived quality was gauged by means of a validated, reliable questionnaire used previously for similar purposes by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs. A total of 295 surveys (147 males and 148 females) were analyzed. The average age was age 48.83 (SD: 18.77) for the Motilla Health Care Center and age 61.93 (SD: 15.17) for the Cardenete Health Care Center. The average monthly frequency of visits for the MP Health Care Center was 1.56 (SD: 1.91), this average having been 2.49 (SD: 4.27) for the Cardenete Health Care Center. The average weekly frequencies for the MP Health Care Center was 0.32 (SD: 0.66), having been 0.49 (SD: 1.03) for the Cardenete Health Care Center. The waiting time at the MP Health Care Center was 10.86 minutes (SD: 8.27), having been 7.88 (SD: 4.55) at the Cardenete Health Care Center. 83.4% of the users of the two Health Centers of are aware of the fact that they have the freedom to choose their primary care physician. Statistically significant differences were found in 11 of the 21 items studied regarding perceived quality of the which questionnaire is comprised. The results of the health care components according to the factorial analysis of the items of perceived quality are those coinciding with the perceived quality results. Of the two groups of users surveyed, those perceiving a higher degree of quality in the health care service they are rendered are those of the Cardenete Health Care Center.