Hospital Services for Ill Patients in the Middle-Belt Geopolitical Zone, Nigeria: Patient’s Waiting Time and Level of Satisfaction

An important parameter in the assessment of quality health care lies on patient satisfaction. Despite concerted efforts to improve health-care services, patient satisfaction coupled with the quality of hospital care at disposal remain a significant challenge in Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to determine the perception on factors associated with prolonged waiting time and patient satisfaction at the outpatient department of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialist Hospital in Nigeria. A mixed-method research was utilized. Questionnaire was administered on 95 outpatients, and a focus group discussion (FGD) was held with eight participants. Statistical analysis was utilized to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. Data from FGD were analyzed with NVivo 10. The overall hospital satisfaction was found to be 75.8% among the study population. There was a significant inverse relationship between the level of satisfaction with the doctor and employment status and educational level and a significant direct relationship between the level of satisfaction with the doctor and appointment status and type of visits. The results of FGD show that patients were satisfied with the neatness of the hospital, doctor’s professionalism, and patient–doctor relationship. Dissatisfaction was with extended patient waiting time and the small size infrastructure of the hospital, inefficient handling of patient files by nurse aids, and thoroughness of the physicians. The results showed that majority of the patients were dissatisfied with the waiting time for consultation in the hospital. In other words, consultation time positively correlated with the level of patient satisfaction. To improve the overall patient satisfaction, the waiting time for consultation should be reduced significantly.