Abstract

PATIENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ABOUT HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN A TEACHING HOSPITAL OF EASTERN NEPAL

Ansari Mukhtar*, AlShammari Thamir M, Khan Salman and Deep Jagat Prasad

ABSTRACT

Background: Although there are various aspects in a hospital to be considered for upgrading the quality of healthcare, patients’ satisfaction is distinctly one of the critical issues. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey carried out among 160 patients discharged from in-patient wards of Nobel Teaching Hospital between May and June 2013. The patients were selected through consecutive random sampling method. The data was collected through a self designed and pretested questionnaire administered by a trained interviewer. Data were entered in SPSS 11.5 for windows (Chicago Inc.) and analyzed for descriptive and inferential statistics using Pearson’s chi-square test. Results: Among 160 patients, more than 72% were either illiterate or had completed primary level of education. Healthcare services, to some extent, were satisfactory to patients. However, there was noticeable disappointment among patients in terms of not satisfied with physicians’ explanation about health condition (71.3%), nurses’ apathy towards patients (37%), availability of dispensing staffs in pharmacy (51%) and counselling made by them (59%), overpriced medicines (49%) and cleanliness of toilets (52%). Although there were relationships between patients’ satisfaction and demographic variables, statistically significant associations were found between age and satisfaction with physicians’ work (p=0.011) and pharmacy staffs’ work (p=0.002); and patients’ education and satisfaction with physicians’ work (p=0.021). Conclusions: Patients’ satisfaction with healthcare services and health facilities was satisfactory except healthcare providers’ behaviour and pharmacy-related issues.

Keywords: Health Services, Nepal, Patients, Perception, Teaching Hospital.