Factors Influencing Patient Satisfaction at the Out-Patient Department of Pentecost Hospital, Greater Accra Region

ABSTRACT

Background: Measuring patient satisfaction has become an integral part of health facility management globally. Patient satisfaction is an essential pointer of equitable quality of care. It is often complained that the communication between healthcare workers and patients at public hospitals is very poor. This mostly makes it look like patients are totally at the mercy of the healthcare workers at these hospitals. 

Objective: This study sought to examine factors influencing patient satisfaction with services rendered at the outpatient department(OPD)of the Pentecost Hospital Greater Accra Region. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional design using a quantitative approach was applied. A structured questionnaire was used to gather empirical data from 414 patients at the outpatient department(OPD)of the Pentecost Hospital. A systematic random sampling technique was used. Descriptive and analytical analysis were done to determine patients’ satisfaction level. The mean gap score was calculated as a measure for patients’ level of satisfaction. Additionally, PCA was done using STATA to identify the sub groups of SERVQUAL items. This enabled the identification of individual components or provider factors under the five SERVQUAL dimensions that are predictors of patient’s satisfaction. Results: The mean gap score to assess patients’ satisfaction was-1.67(±0.1), demonstrating an overall dissatisfaction with quality of care. The level of dissatisfaction across the SERVQUAL dimensions were: Empathy ranked first (mean gap score=-0.18); Reliability ranked second(the mean gap score was-0.33), Assurance ranked third (mean gap score was - 0.34), Tangibles was ranked fourth (with a gap score of - 0.35), and Responsiveness ranked fifth (with a mean gap score of 0.38). 

Conclusion: The study found and concludes that respondents in this study were generally, dissatisfied with the healthcare accessed at the OPD at the Pentecost Hospital at Made in Accra. Promptness of service delivery, disrespectfulness of staff, poor communication and lack of empathy towards very ill patients, poor adherence to confidentiality, inadequacy of staff at OPD, and lack of physical examination were the factors perceived to account for the dissatisfaction of the patients with service delivery at the OPD. The study found that respondents were satisfied with medication prescription (essential drugs) at the OPD. The management of the Pentecost Hospital should train staff on good customer relation through in-service training to enhance staff -patient relationship. Policy makers at the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service need to advance a coordinated and focused national policy in support of patient centred care to help health professionals develop and maintain skills that ensure that care rendered targets the needs of patients