DETERMINANTS OF PATIENT SATISFACTION AT PUBLIC SECTOR HOSPITALS, KARACHI

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to find out the determinants of Patient Satisfaction in Public sector hospitals of karachi. These determinants were Physician and Paramedics Interaction, Waiting Time, Hygienic Conditions and Diagnostic Processes. As we all know that Patient Satisfaction is an important element of quality of care provided by the healthcare institutes so efforts were made to find out the impact of all these factors on patient satisfaction in public sector hospitals. Methodology/sample: In this research, deductive approach was adopted whereby hypotheses were formulated first followed by preparation of a research instrument i.e. a well-structured questionnaire. The nature of research was explanatory, based on primary quantitative data. The data was collected through the questionnaire, by using Likert scale, with the range of 1-5. The data was collected from a sample size of 150 patients, admitted in different departments of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Jinnah Hospital. To analyze the data, Regression and Correlation tests were applied. Findings: The analysis of acquired results shows that patient satisfaction is highly dependent on paramedical interaction and hygienic conditions of the health care facility. Patients were more concerned about the attitude and behavioral of the attending nursing staff as well as the technical staff they encountered during any diagnostic procedure. Sanitary and cleanliness is also a key factor in patient satisfaction as it makes the first impression of the health care system on patients. Practical Implications: The fmdings/results of this research are likely to help the administration and higher management of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Jinnah Hospital to evaluate their internal operatives systems. They may take appropriate measures to overcome weaknesses and built on their strengths. They can also use the same study structure with more new variable for further research and growth of the in-hospital services and facilities.