Parental satisfaction with pediatric healthcare services is low in Eastern Ethiopia

Parental satisfaction is crucial for evaluating pediatric healthcare services, but there is a lack of data on satisfaction levels with inpatient services in the study setting. Therefore, this study aims to determine the level of parental satisfaction with pediatric inpatient healthcare services at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in eastern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HFCSH) involving 413 parents who had brought their children for pediatric inpatient services between February 1 and March 30, 2024. The participants were chosen through systematic random sampling with a K- interval of two. The parental level of satisfaction was measured using the EMPATHIC parent satisfaction tool. The analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27. Bivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the association of the outcome variable with the independent variable. The strength of association was determined by an AOR and a 95% confidence interval. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. This study included 413 parents, with a 100% response rate. The satisfaction level of parents was 61.5% (95% CI 56.6%, 66.0%). Factors significantly associated with parental satisfaction were having children aged 2 to 6 years (AOR = 1.671, 95% CI 1.01, 2.75), visiting pediatric emergency wards (AOR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.56), poor health status (AOR = 0.479, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.79), moderate social support (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.30, 3.75), and caring behavior of health professionals (AOR = 6.62, 95% CI: 4.01, 10.91). This study revealed that the level of parental satisfaction with pediatric healthcare services was low. The study also identified modifiable factors that predicted parental satisfaction, including moderate social support, good health professional caring behavior, children in poor health, and inadequate services in the pediatric emergency unit.