Patients' satisfaction for health care services at Thi-qar province,Iraq

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Patient satisfaction is increasingly being recognized as central elements in the monitoring and evaluation of healthcare. Assessment of patient satisfaction offers a way of optimizing health status and prevents waste of medical resources. The direct measurement of patient satisfaction is a new phenomenon in Iraq. Objective:In this survey, the level of patient satisfaction and its correlates were investigated in attendees at five health care facilities in Thiqar province,Iraq.Method: A cross sectional study of clients attending five public health care facilities during the period from March 2, to June 20, 2007.An exit interview was conducted with 452 clients using a special questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic, and health care service items. Results: Of the participants,222(49.1%) were dissatisfied with the health care services offered by facilities.High dissatisfaction rate was associated with low education.,unemployement, male gender ,and being single. There was a high significant statistical association between the age of clients , education ,marital status ,and employment with satisfaction for the health care services .Satisfaction rate was high for vaccination and very low for gynecology and obstetric services.Conclusion:There is a low satisfaction rate for the health care services at Thi-qar province in comparison with countries in the region and in the world , which indicate a need for corrective intervention in some service areas and a further thorough large-scale studies to explore the nature and correlates of satisfaction.