The Effects of waiting time and satisfaction among patients visiting medical outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess satisfaction, factors and effects of waiting time among patients visiting medical outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional and descriptive.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Conducted in medical outpatient department of Dr Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi from July 2019 to December 2019.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Purposive and non-probability sampling technique was used which yielded a sample size of 402 patients. All patients 18 years or above visiting medical outpatient department were included as participants. The study tool used was an interviewer administered, semi structured questionnaire. It consists of Concise Outpatient Department User Satisfaction scale and questions regarding factors and effects of waiting time. Analysis was done via SPSS v.20.

RESULTS: In the Concise Outpatient Department User Satisfaction scale, physician’s professionalism scored maximum with a mean ± SD score of 8.42 ± 2.04. Waiting time attained a minimum score with a mean ± SD of 4.40 ± 2.66.  Effects found were patients leaving the outpatient department without check-up (p=0.018) and forced to seek private healthcare (p=0.031). Factors are increased patient load (91.6%) and reduced slip making counters (61.2%)

CONCLUSION: Patients are dissatisfied with waiting time. Most common factors of delayed waiting time are increased number of patients and reduced slip making counters. Important effects are patients leaving outpatient department without check-up, forced to seek private healthcare, effects on quality of care and frustration leading to scuffles.

KEYWORDS: Waiting time, patient satisfaction, outpatient department, public, tertiary care hospital.