Patient satisfaction and treatment outcomes of primary care practice in Ghana

BACKGROUND: General evidence suggests a strong association between patient satisfaction and treatment outcomes, but data specific to the general Ghanaian population is lacking. PURPOSE: To use nationally representative data to examine the effects of primary care practices on patient satisfaction and how satisfaction influences treatment outcomes. METHODS: The study utilized WAVE 1 data from a nationally representative survey (n = 2,967) of patients who received outpatient medical care in Ghana. The data were collected by the World Health Organization between 2007 and 2010 and were analyzed using Kruskal Wallis test, binomial logistic regression, and correlations. Predictors for patients' experiences were waiting time, respectfulness, clear communication, privacy, decision-making, choice, and cleanliness. RESULTS: Overall, the patients reported positive experiences with all aspects of their primary care services. Thirty-three percent were very satisfied and 57% were satisfied with their last outpatient visit. Adjusted for sociodemographic and other variables, patient satisfaction with primary care was predominantly determined through privacy, decision-making, communication, and respectfulness. The model explained 54.6% (Nagelkerke R(2)) of the variance in satisfaction and correctly classified 85.2% of cases. Patient satisfaction and treatment outcomes were significantly related, r(2959) = .54, p < .001. CONCLUSION: In a nationally representative sample, quality of patient experiences was associated with high satisfaction, which in turn was positively associated with improved treatment outcomes. FUNDING: None