Factors Associated with Patient Satisfaction in Outpatient Department

Abstract

Background: Patient satisfaction is an important and direct indicator of quality of health care which is essential for providers to fill their gaps. Outpatient care is made up of medical procedures, tests, and services that can be provided to the patient in a setting that doesn’t involve an overnight hospital stay. When patients visit health care facilities, they express a clear desire for high-quality ser¬vices. The aim of this study is to investigate factors associated with patient satisfaction in adult outpatient department.

Methods: Cross-sectional study design with a total sample of 200 patients was conducted from Auguest to October 2022. All patients who visited the outpatient departments of the chosen health centers were consid-ered the source population, and all patients who visited the outpatient departments during the study period were the study population. Data were collected structured validated questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS version 20 to identify predictor variables, applying bivari¬ate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine variables that most signifi¬cantly predicted the outcome variable of the level of patient-satisfaction at 5% level of significance and 95% confidence interval.

Results: There were 200 participants in the study. the present study display the relation between participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and total level of satisfaction. There is highly statistical significant with age, gender, educational level and monthly income. While no statistical significant with social status. Also,  the outpatient service characteristics and perceptions of study participants. Nearly (45%) of respondents reported the outpatient department they visited was convenient to ask questions. Related to privecy (88%) of them reported that their privacy at the out-patient department was maintained. Inrelation to dialogue with outpatient service providers, the study participants declared to have had a good dialogue with outpatient service providers were (65%). Regarding, politeness (73%) of respondents described outpatient service providers were polite during service provision. The overall patient satisfaction rate of the study were (22%) very satisfied, (35%) satisfied, (21%) neutral, (15%) dissatisfied and (7%) very dissatisfied.

Conclusion: The study's results revealed that the outpatient service characteristics and perceptions of study participants were low of respondents with convenient to ask questions. While, high percentage reported that their privacy at the out-patient department was maintained. Also, Related to dialogue with outpatient service providers, the study participants declared to have had a good dialogue with outpatient service providers. Related to politeness of outpatient service providers who served the respondents were high. The overall patient satisfaction rate of the study were good.