Patients’ Satisfaction with Ophthalmology Clinic Services in a Public Teaching Hospital

PURPOSE: To evaluate patients’ satisfaction with ophthalmology health services in a teaching clinic of a tertiary public hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in ophthalmology clinic of Dr. Sardjito teaching hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia conducted in 2019. Patients were surveyed using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 (PSQ-18). PSQ-18 subscale score was analyzed based on patients’ characteristics. The main outcome was the odds of reaching top satisfaction score (TSS) of 4–5 from a Likert scale 1 to 5. RESULTS: Our study recorded 269 participants who consisted of 138 males (51.3%) and 131 females (48.7%) with median age of 52 (18–87) years old. Variables with higher odds of reaching TSS on “patient overall satisfaction” was public health insurance (OR: 7.959 [95% CI: 1.989–31.852], p=0.003) while examination time (OR: 0.955 [95% CI: 0.923–0.988], p=0.008) had lower odds. Examination waiting time (OR: 0.992 [95% CI: 0.985–0.999], p=0.027) and examination time (OR: 0.941 [95% CI: 0.908–0.976], p=0.001) had lower odds of reaching TSS in “general satisfaction”. Family monthly income (OR: 1.829 [95% CI: 1.038–3.223], p=0.037) had higher odds of reaching TSS in “technical quality” while examination time (OR: 0.961 [95% CI: 0.931–0.993], p=0.017) and education (OR: 0.549 [95% CI: 0.322–0.934], p=0.027) had lower odds. Comorbidities (OR: 0.533 [95% CI: 0.301–0.944], p=0.031) had lower odds of reaching TSS in “financial aspects”. Retina subspecialty clinic (OR: 3.436 [95% CI: 1.154–10.232], p=0.027) had higher odds of reaching TSS in “time spent with doctor”. Registrar as attending physician (OR: 0.427 [95% CI: 0.205–0.89], p=0.0230) and examination time (OR: 0.957 [95% CI: 0.924–0.991], p=0.013) had lower odds of reaching TSS in “accessibility-convenience”. CONCLUSION: Examination time and examination waiting time should be shortened, specialist doctors should always see the patients whenever possible, and registrars' technical and communication skill should be improved. Alternative funding for patients without health insurance also should be provided to increase satisfaction.