Abstract:
Background: Patient satisfaction reflects provider's ability to successfully deliver care that
meets patients' expectations and needs. Patients have explicit desires or requests for services
when they visit hospitals. However, if their needs are not identified well, this may result in
patient dissatisfaction.
Objective: This study aimed to assess patient satisfaction with out-patient services and its
influencing factors among out-patients at Gimbi general hospital in West Wollega, Western
Ethiopia.
Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 out-patients of Gimbi
general hospital. The total sample size was allocated to each of the two out-patient units
depending on patient flow during a one month period prior to the start of data collection and
study participants were selected using systematic random sampling technique. Data were
collected using pretested structured questionnaire through exit interview of study participants
and analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 16.0. Factor score was computed for items that
were identified to represent the satisfaction scale by varimax rotation method. By using this
regression factor score, multivariate linear regression analysis was performed and the effect of
independent variables on the regression factor score was quantified.
Result: This study showed that the mean satisfaction score of the patients was 60.2 %. Perceived
technical competency perceived enablement and perceived empathy were found to be
independent predictors of satisfaction having positive association with satisfaction score. Patients
who were not told name of their illness (β=-.230, p=0.0001), not told to return if their condition
did not improve (β=-.349, p=0.0001), and who did not tell all their private issues have lower
satisfaction than their counter parts (β=-.377, p=0.0001). The study also identified level of
familiarity with provider, getting prescribed drugs from the hospital pharmacy and perceived
consultation duration were predictors of satisfaction score.
Conclusion and Recommendation: This study identified mean satisfaction score of patients to
be 60.2%. This study revealed specific predictors of patient satisfaction such as perceived
technical competency, perceived empathy, patient enablement, perceived consultation duration,
information sharing about illness and consultation duration which health care providers should
consider in their practice to enhance patient satisfaction. Privacy during consultation, level of
familiarity with the provider and availability of drugs were also among the main predictors of
satisfaction identified in this study
