Measuring Patient Satisfaction: A Case Study to Improve Quality of Care at Public Health Facilities

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the study is to measure the satisfaction of OPD (Outpatient Department) patients in public health facilities of Madhya Pradesh in India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected from OPD patients through pre-structured questionnaires at public health facilities in the sampled eight districts of Madhya Pradesh. The data were analyzed using SPSS. SETTINGS: Outpatient Departments of district hospital, civil hospital, community health centre, and primary health centre of the eight selected districts of Madhya Pradesh. RESULTS: A total of 561 OPD patients were included in the study to know their perceptions towards the public health facilities, choosing health facility, registration process, basic amenities, perception towards doctors and other staff, perception towards pharmacy and dressing room services. It was found that most of the respondents were youth and having low level of education. The major reason of choosing the public health facility was inexpensiveness, infrastructure, and proximity of health facility. Measuring patient satisfaction were more satisfied with the basic amenities at higher health facilities compared to lower level facilities. It was also observed that the patients were more satisfied with the behavior of doctors and staff at lower health facilities compared to higher level facilities.