“It’s a waste of time coming here, better go to private clinics with wider options for treatment”: patient’s perception on dental services provided in Fiji

Abstract

Background Oral health can influence the quality of an individual’s life. Patient’s perception of the service plays a vital role in understanding the reasons as to why a patient may be satisfied or dissatisfied with the service that they accessed at a dental setting. As no studies have been done in Fiji until now, this study aimed to explore the perceptions of patients on services provided by the largest dental clinic in the Central/Eastern division in Fiji. Method A qualitative study was used to collect data from patients who visited the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) dental clinic in Suva Fiji from 5th August to 31st October, 2020. All patients above the age of 18 of both genders and from any ethnicity who visited the CWMH dental clinic during the period of data collection were included the study. A total of 25 participants were interviewed for this study using the in-depth interview method till data saturation occurred. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data using face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data were transcribed and analyzed using manual thematic analysis process to gather the themes and sub-themes for the results. Results A total of 25 patients were interviewed, with a majority (n = 14) being men and 15 were of I-Taukei background. Five themes emerging from data analysis include: Waiting time before treatment, Cost of Treatment, Accessibility of services, Privacy and confidentiality and Range of treatment options. The patients had an expectation to get the best treatment but face many hurdles while trying to get the treatment that they expect. The shortfalls on the part of this dental clinic caused an onset of negative perception among its users. Conclusion This study shows an overall dissatisfaction with regards to services delivery among the patients who use the CWMH dental clinic for dental care purposes. The decision makers need to look into the genuine concerns that have been raised by patients in order to create improvements in services delivery and create an array of satisfaction for its patients.

A qualitative exploration of patients’ perception regarding the comprehensive dental services availed at a primary health center

“…This included a demand for more dentists, additional dental chairs for treatment, a shaded waiting area for patients, and provision of drinking water in the waiting area. Participants specifically emphasized the requirement for more dentists and dental chairs to alleviate waiting times, aligning with the findings in a study conducted by Nair et al 20 Additionally, participants voiced a desire for free dental crowns or fixed prosthetics at a lower cost, highlighting a perceived cost barrier to accessing paid dental services. This echoes the sentiments of the same study, where participants cited the high cost as a significant challenge, leading to difficult decisions on prioritizing family members for dental care when multiple individuals required treatment.…”

“…This echoes the sentiments of the same study, where participants cited the high cost as a significant challenge, leading to difficult decisions on prioritizing family members for dental care when multiple individuals required treatment. 20 These results highlight the complex interplay of factors that affect the accessibility and outcomes of comprehensive dental care services.…”

“…Patient satisfaction, as evidenced in various studies, plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance, improving clinical outcomes, and increasing service utilization. 19 Patient satisfaction is affected by patient perception, 20 which is based on their dental experiences and a certain level of expectation when they avail dental services from a primary health center at a reasonable to no cost. 21 Furthermore, it serves as a roadmap for enhancing quality, 22 ensuring that patients not only have the intention to use the services in the future themselves but also to recommend them to others.…”