Impact of improved primary care on patient satisfaction: Results of a pilot study in the University of the Philippines

Abstract

Summary Primary care is generally perceived by the public as an inefficient, low‐quality source of health care in the Philippines. Taking a toll on local health policies, the repercussions of these views warrant a more holistic approach in understanding patient experience. This paper evaluates the impact of strengthening primary care services on patient satisfaction at the University of the Philippines Health Service (UPHS). A prevalidated 16‐item, 5‐scale questionnaire was distributed to 200 eligible patients at the start of the study in 2016 and then again in 2017. A significant increase of highly satisfied patients in 13 of 16 questionnaire items was recorded after primary care services in the facility were strengthened. The highest satisfaction scores were reported for overall wait times, coordination of care, and health advice. Our findings suggest that improvements in primary care services through digitalizing health records, financing laboratory and pharmaceutical services, and retraining staff accounts for significant improvements in patient satisfaction. This ultimately bears potential for better clinical outcomes in form of patient retention and long‐term care.

Addressing Primary Care Inequities in Underserved Areas of the Philippines: A Review

“…26 Moving towards the supply-side of service delivery, primary care has been battling with patient satisfaction of human resource for health (HRH) as it is generally perceived by the public as inefficient and a source of low-quality health care service. 27 According to the Professional Regulation Commission in 2016, "the 5-year annual production of new health professionals includes 2,700 physicians, 2,500 midwives, 4,100 medical technologists, and 600 dentists." 28 In 2017, more than 50% of the nurses, midwives, and medical technologies were engaged in the public sector.…”

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Promoting equitable and patient-centred care: an analysis of patient satisfaction in urban, rural and remote primary care sites in the Philippines

“…Healthcare worker capacity-building initiatives, which encompassed training on primary care and clinical practice guidelines, could have improved physician-patient rapport and quality of clinical care and resulted in better patient satisfaction in the domains of technical competency and handling 20. The primary care training initiatives also emphasised the need for coordinated care, which may have contributed to increased patient satisfaction in health communication 11…”

“…It operated on weekdays, from 08:00 to 17:00, and was serviced by 12 family physicians during the study period. The facility was directly connected to diagnostic and pharmacy services within the university system 11…”

Governance in Primary Care Systems: Experiences and Lessons from Urban, Rural, and Remote Settings in the Philippines

“…A sustainable health human resource strategy to ensure quality patient care also necessitates evaluating provideroriented outcome measures such as healthcare worker knowledge, job satisfaction, acceptance of EHR systems, and quality of care. 63 These outcomes highlight provider experiences to improve health standards, performance, and optimum efficiency. Furthermore, emic insights into the workforce experience can inform administrative policies for improving job satisfaction, professional development, and retention.…”