Patient satisfaction with medical consultations among adults attending Mulago hospital assessment centre

Abstract

Background Patient satisfaction is known to positively influence patients’ compliance with medical advice. In Africa, and specifically Uganda, this interaction has rarely been put to scientific inquiry. This study aimed to determine the level of patient satisfaction and identify factors influencing satisfaction with medical consultations among adults attending Mulago Assessment Centre. Methods This was a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study where 384 respondents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire adapted from the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale (MISS-21) with a four-point Likert scale. Patient satisfaction was measured using four dimensions namely: information provision, clinicians’ communication skills, perceived consulting time and patient’s confidence in the clinician. Respondents’ mean scores were categorised as satisfied or dissatisfied. Multivariate linear regression analysis assessed the effect of independent variables on the regression factor score of the dependent variable. Significance level was set at p < 0.05. Final data analysis was done using STATA version 11.0. Results Of the sample, 53.9% were satisfied with the medical consultation. Patients’ average scores showed lowest satisfaction for information provision (2.7 points) compared with communication skills (3.22 points), patient confidence in the clinicians (3.22 points) and consultation time (3.05 points). Being older, employed, living further away from the health centre and frequently visiting the centre were positively associated with patient satisfaction. Conclusions Patient satisfaction was largely affected by interpersonal factors. This highlights the need for training of clinicians on the importance of adequate information provision, good communication skills and technical competences like thorough examination of patients and relieving worries about illness during the consultation.

Patients satisfaction with consultation at primary health care centers in Abha City, Saudi Arabia

“…These findings indicate lower levels of patients satisfaction compared with those reported by some other studies. [ 11 12 13 ]…”

“…Kabatooro et al . [ 11 ] reported that 53.9% of patients attending the Mulago Assessment Centre at a teaching hospital in Kampala, Uganda were satisfied with their received medical consultations.…”

“…Kabatooro et al . [ 11 ] reported higher scores among the elderly compared with younger patients. In South Glamorgan, Wales, UK, Kinnersley et al .…”

Level of satisfaction and associated factors among patients attending outpatient departments of south Wollo health facilities, Ethiopia

“…This finding is in agreement with the findings of a study carried out at Calabar Teaching Hospital in Nigeria (57.1%), Jimma (57.7%,), Debrebirhan hospital (61.9%), Amhara Region Referral Hospitals (65.9%) [11][12][13][14]. Allover patient satisfaction level was lower compared to the reports of the studies conducted in Jimma University Specialized Hospital (77%) and Hawassa University Teaching Hospital (80.1%), India (78%), Egypt (86.2%), Kenya (84%) [5,6,[15][16][17]. The difference might be due to the fact that those studies were conducted in specialized teaching and referral hospitals which are equipped very well and have enough diversity of health professionals, better diagnostic facilities, health service infrastructures, and awareness of service providers of different levels that are expected to demonstrate the standard way of patient examination resulting in higher level satisfaction.…”

“…To achieve high quality, the World Health Organization (WHO) now proposes a "people-centered" approach to health care, in which the patient is treated as a whole person with multiple needs, rather than just a disease condition to be managed. Patients' satisfaction with the services they receive is one way to quantify health-care quality [6]. The modern patient is more informed and educated, has greater access to information, and has higher expectations of the health-care system.…”