ORTHOPAEDIC PATIENTS SATISFACTION WITH MEDICAL CLINIC AND EMERGENCY SERVICES PROVIDED IN SHAHID BEHESHTI HOSPITAL IN BABOL, NORTHERN IRAN

Corresponding Author:
Dr. Seyed Mokhtar Esmaeilnejad-Ganji,
Department of Orthopaedics,
Babol University of Medical Sciences,
Ganj Afrooz Street, Babol, Mazandaran, Iran.
E-mail: smsnganji@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

Investigation of patients’ satisfaction is one of the most common methods to evaluate the quality of hospital services. We aimed to assess the orthopaedic patients’ satisfaction with medical services, who were referred to the clinic and emergency of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Babol, Northern Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, the orthopaedic patients who were referred between September 2017 and March 2018 were included. To evaluate the patients’ satisfaction, we used the questionnaire standardised by the Minister of Health and Medical Education. Each item of the questionnaire scored on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (Completely dissatisfied) to 4 (Completely satisfied). The emergency and clinic questionnaires had 22 and 17 questions, respectively. The total score of the two questionnaires was categorised as dissatisfied, moderately satisfied and completely satisfied.

RESULTS

Finally, 631 patients were evaluated in this study, of whom 342 were in the emergency group and 292 were in the clinic group. In the emergency group, the patients were mostly dissatisfied with the expenditures of the emergency unit. In the clinic group, the most dissatisfaction was related to lack of enough chairs in the waiting room, but the most satisfaction was with hospital medication preparation. Out of 342 patients in the emergency 51 (14.9%) were completely satisfied, 265 (77.5%) were moderately satisfied and 26 (7.6%) were dissatisfied. Out of 292 clinic patients 11 (3.8%) were completely satisfied, 264 (90.4%) were moderately satisfied and 17 (5.8%) were dissatisfied.

CONCLUSION

Satisfaction of the orthopaedic patients in emergency and clinic was mostly in the average level. Providing better services for the patients and comforting them affect their improvement positively.

KEY WORDS

Emergency, Clinic, Satisfaction, Orthopaedics.