Determinants of treatment satisfaction among patients with diabetes: multicentre cross-sectional study in Northwest Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE: Treatment satisfaction is a significant determinant of quality of care, especially for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes. Identifying factors that contribute to treatment satisfaction may improve patient outcomes. This study examined treatment satisfaction and determinant factors in patients with diabetes. DESIGN AND SETTING: A multicentre hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted between April and July 2022 at selected hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: Eligible adult patients with diabetes were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Treatment satisfaction was the main outcome and was measured using the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, which was valid and reliable in the current sample. A linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between treatment satisfaction scores and independent variables. RESULTS: Out of the 422 patients approached, 402 (95.3%) participated in the study. Overall, the mean treatment satisfaction score was 17.13 (±3.3) out of 30. Most of the participants had a lower degree of satisfaction with the current treatment (>52%) and its convenience (>63%). More than half of the participants (51.2%) perceived hyperglycaemia most of the time and hypoglycaemia some of the time (64.9%). Treatment satisfaction was influenced by body mass index (BMI) (p<0.01), number of medical conditions and medications (p<0.001), hyperglycaemia perception (p<0.001), healthcare cost coverage (p<0.001), monthly salary (p<0.001), self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) (p=0.017), lifestyle modification status (p<0.01), and comorbidity and/or complications (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Treatment satisfaction was low among patients with a higher BMI, a higher number of medical conditions and medications, comorbidities and/or complications, a frequent perception of hyperglycaemia and a lower monthly salary. Interventions addressing specific independent variables might enhance treatment satisfaction.