Patients’ satisfaction with clinical laboratory services in public hospitals in Ethiopia
Date
2020-01-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC (part of Springer Nature)
Abstract
Background: Knowing customers’ level of satisfaction is relevant to improve and provide quality health care
services. In the clinical laboratory, monitoring customers’ satisfaction is an important indicator of the quality
management system and required by international laboratory standards. However, in Ethiopia, there has not been
baseline data about the satisfaction level of patients’ with laboratory services at the national level. The aim of this
national level survey was to assess patients’ satisfaction level with laboratory services at public hospitals in Ethiopia.
Methods: A national survey was conducted using an institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed
from 01 to 30 November 2017. A total of 2399 patients were selected randomly from 60 public hospitals. Data was
collected using structured questionnaire, entered in Epi Info and analyzed with SPSS software. Multiple logistic
regression model was fitted to identify predictors of patients’ satisfaction with laboratory services. A p-value of less
than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.
Result: Overall, 78.6% of the patients were satisfied with the clinical laboratory services. Patients were dissatisfied
with cleanness of latrine (47%), long waiting time (30%), clear and understandable advisory service during specimen
collection (26%), adequacy of waiting area (25%), easy accessibility of laboratory (19%) and latrine location (20%),
availability of requested service (18%), unfair payment of service (17%) and missing of result (12%). The educational
status (P = 0.032), and distance (P = 0.000) were significantly associated with client overall satisfaction level.
Conclusion: Most laboratory patients’ were satisfied with the service provided by public hospital laboratories in
public hospitals in Ethiopia. However, patients’ were dissatisfied with the accessibility of sites, adequacy of waiting
area, cleanness of latrine, long TAT, communication, missing of results, availability of requested service and cost of
service. Therefore, responsible bodies in each level should act on the identified gaps and improve the need of
patients in each hospital laboratory. In addition, all hospital laboratories should conduct a satisfaction survey and
meet the needs of laboratory patients.
Description
CITATION: Hailu, H. A., et al. 2019. Patients’ satisfaction with clinical Laboratory Services in Public Hospitals in Ethiopia. BMC Health Services Research, 20:13, doi:10.1186/s12913-019-4880-9.
The original publication is available at https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com
The original publication is available at https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com
Keywords
Patient satisfaction -- Ethiopia, Diagnosis, Laboratory -- Ethiopia, Public hospitals -- Ethiopia
Citation
Hailu, H. A., et al. 2019. Patients’ satisfaction with clinical Laboratory Services in Public Hospitals in Ethiopia. BMC Health Services Research, 20:13, doi:10.1186/s12913-019-4880-9