Patients' satisfaction : a performance assessment of the outpatient department of al-Gamhoria Teaching Hospital, Aden

الملخص EN

Background: Patient perspective satisfaction assessments are useful in gaining an understanding of patients' needs.

The aim of this study was to assess the satisfaction of outpatient department attendees on the quality of healthcare service received.

Methods: By using a structured questionnaire, data were derived from 362 patients attending the outpatient department clinics, of Al-Gamhoria teaching hospital in Aden.

Attendees were randomly selected.

Descriptive statistics were used to assess the satisfaction level and independent variables while the relationships between these factors were determined by using Chi-square test and p-value less than 0.05 was considered satistically significant.

Results: Of 362 attendees interviewed, there was a response rate of 100%.

Levels of satisfaction were low at 42.5%.

Men were more satisfied than women.

There was a significant relationship between satisfaction and residency (P < 0.05), and education level (P < 0.05).

The satisfaction levels to five variables (registration, condition of toilet, temperature of the waiting area, patient's privacy, and conduct of nurses) were very low ranged between 21% and 34.8%.

The other six variables (waiting time, cleanliness, physician' attitude, willingness of the physician, information given by the physician) were between 43.9% and 66.6%.

Conclusion: Whilst there was a low level of satisfaction with the healthcare services in the outpatient department clinics, areas for improvement were highlighted from the patient's perspective.

Future studies should employ larger datasets from different outpatient populations in order to examine the possibility of generalizing the current findings.