Patient satisfaction with ophthalmic outpatient services

Objectives: The objective is to assess patient satisfaction with ophthalmic outpatient services and its predictors at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Material and Methods: It was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study over 3 months. Three hundred and eighty-nine participants were recruited using a systematic random sampling method. A timing chart was used to record the pre-consultation waiting time of each participant. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire [patient satisfaction questionnaire short-form (PSQ-18)] was administered to each participant at the end of the ophthalmic consultation. After scoring the questions on the PSQ-18, the average satisfaction score was determined. Satisfaction with the waiting time was assessed using visit-specific satisfaction questionnaire item 4. All quantitative data were entered into a Microsoft Excel database and exported to the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 for analysis. Data entry was validated by double entry. Frequency and percentages of qualitative variables were determined, while mean and standard deviation were calculated for quantitative variables. The association between variables was analyzed using Chi-square, and multivariate logistic regression was done to assess predictors of patient satisfaction. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Three hundred and eighty-nine participants were recruited with a mean age of 54.5 ± 15.8 years. The study consisted of 231 (59.4%) females. The overall satisfaction with the ophthalmic outpatient services was 65.8%. The average pre-consultation waiting time was 227 ± 91.5 min, and 59% of the participants were dissatisfied with the waiting time. Predictors of satisfaction with the ophthalmic outpatient services included communication, technical quality, and interpersonal relationships. Other healthcare provider characteristics and sociodemographic characteristics were not significantly associated with satisfaction with ophthalmic outpatient services. Conclusion: The overall satisfaction with the ophthalmic outpatient services was good. However, there is a need to reduce the waiting time before consultation by staggering the appointment time for patients and improving the human resources and infrastructure in the eye clinic.