Patients’ reaction to the ethical conduct of radiographers and staff services as predictors of radiological experience satisfaction: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundPatients’ satisfaction arises from their appraisal of experience in hospital services and measuring patients’ satisfaction in hospital has become a global phenomenon. To improve on patients’ satisfaction, radiographers have to imbibe the right ethical attitude in their conduct while discharging duties to patients during radiological examination. The objective of this study is to understand from the patients’ perspective the ethical conduct of radiographers and radiology nurses that constitute factors in patient satisfaction during routine radiological examination. The rationale of the study is to use the findings to improve radiological service delivery and improve on patient satisfaction.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional descriptive study in which 300 respondents (outpatients) in two hospitals were surveyed to ascertain their satisfaction with the ethical conduct of radiographers and services provided by radiology nurses in the department. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics at 95 % confidence interval for mean scores and Z-values.ResultsThree hundred patients responded to the survey which comprised of 145 patients from the public hospital and 155 patients from the private hospital. Radiographers fell short in some ethical/professional conduct as in informed consent before treatment (mean = 2.95); radiographers’ not explaining his/her experience, expectation, knowledge and equipment procedure (mean = 2.98). However, they did well in some aspects including observation of professional boundaries with patients during treatment and equity in treatment for the patients during the radiological examination (mean score = 1.43). Some services provided by staff members in the department also fell short of patients’ expectation and satisfaction including explanation of what to expect during the exam (mean = 3.30), whereas they did well in their level of courtesy to patients (mean score = 4.09). There was a significant difference in the satisfaction level experienced by patients at both hospitals in favour of the private hospital.ConclusionsThere is an urgent need for improved ethical/professional conduct of radiographers and general service delivery in the radiology departments of the hospitals where this investigation was carried out to enhance patient satisfaction. Government has to improve the curricular of service providers in radiology service in the university to include ethical/professional conduct and patient/provider relationship.

Patients’ satisfaction towards radiological service and associated factors in Hawassa University Teaching and referral hospital, Southern Ethiopia

“…The result is in line with studies conducted in Nigeria, 73.4% [14], Philippines, 71% [18] and Pakistan, 71.2% [19]. Moreover, the same or comparable proportion of satisfied patients in this study may not imply that the radiological service rendered in the radiology department is of high quality and good performance.…”

“…The hospital, which currently has 400 beds, went operational in 2003 and is affiliated to the Hawassa University, in which the service is delivered by organizing in to four major departments: medical, surgical, pediatric, and gynecology and obstetrics departments, and other clinics like TB-HIV care unit, ART(Anti-Retroviral Therapy) clinic, Volunteer counseling and testing (VCT), ophthalmology unit, surgical and medical emergency unit, radiology unit, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) unit and Anesthesiology unit. According to the hospital annual and monthly report, the hospital has about 400 up to 500 daily outpatient visits on average [14], including approximately 70 daily radiology visits. The radiology department gives services in three main categories.…”

“…Ethiopia, where radiological services are not organized well, is one of the countries where overall health service has been compromised by inadequate & poorly maintained infrastructure and scarcity of health professionals [13]. Radiological service is a resource intensive unit in a hospital and most developing countries’ radiological service is expected to be poor or may not be available at all [14]. A number of studies have been conducted about patient satisfaction with other health care services in Ethiopia.…”

Assessment of patient satisfaction at Radiological Department of Fayoum University Hospitals

“…The results of this study showed that 75% of the patients were satisfied with the radiological service they received. The result is in line with the studies conducted in Nigeria, 73.4% [12], Southern Ethiopia, 71.6% [13], Philippines, 71% [14], and Pakistan [15], 71.2% [16].…”

“…Patients' satisfaction was measured using a patients' satisfaction structured questionnaire developed by researchers based on the previous search [11,12]. It was measured by asking questions about different domains on a scale of excellent to poor.…”