Abstract:

Healthcare systems and particularly tertiary hospitals are the centre of patient care delivery and represent an organizational hub of the bigger healthcare provider network. One of the most important objectives of any health system is patient satisfaction, yet there is considerable difficulty in the measurement of satisfaction and gauge the responsiveness of healthcare systems. Patient satisfaction is influenced not only by clinical factors but also non-clinical factors and outcomes which are usually ignored by healthcare providers and administrators in developing countries. Extensive research revealed that, there have not been studies that have looked at how patient satisfaction is influenced differentially by clinical factors (core services) and non-clinical factors (health system) and outcomes in Ghana. Also, the objects of the studies carried out in Ghana have been outpatients’ service experience and no study has focused on adding inpatients’ service experience in measuring the level of service quality delivered by tertiary hospitals. The purpose of this article is to propose that both clinical factors and non-clinical factors influence the satisfaction of patients who utilize the outpatient and inpatient departments of tertiary hospitals in Ghana hence healthcare providers and administrators should consider not only clinical factors as determinants of patient satisfaction but also non-clinical factors.

Keywords: Satisfaction, Determinants, Inpatient, Outpatient, clinical, non-clinical.

References:

[1].     Aduo-Adjei KO (2015). Patients Satisfaction with Quality Healthcare in Ghana: A Comparative Study between University of Ghana and University of Cape Coast Hospitals [dissertation]. Ghana: University of Ghana.

[2].     Ahenkan, A., Aduo-Adjei, K. (2017). Predictors of Patient Satisfaction with Quality of Healthcare in University Hospitals in Ghana. Hospital Practices and Research., 2(1), 9-14.

[3].     Al-Abri, R., & Al-Balushi, A. (2014). Patient satisfaction survey as a tool towards quality improvement. Oman medical journal, 29(1), 3-7.

[4].     Ahmed, M.M., Al-Hawary, S. I., & Alghanim, S.A. (2011). Quality level of health care service provided by King Abdullah educational hospital from patient's viewpoint. Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 2(11), 552-572.

[5].     Andrabi S. A., Hamid S., Rohul, J.& Anjum F. (2012). Measuring patient satisfaction: A cross sectional study to improve quality of care at a tertiary care hospital, Health line, Vol. 3, NO. 1, pp. 59-62.

[6].     Ayimbillah Atinga R, Abekah-Nkrumah G, Ameyaw Domfeh K. (2011). Managing healthcare quality in Ghana: a necessity of patient satisfaction. Int J Health Care Qual Assur;24(7):548-563. doi:10.1108/09526861111160580.

[7].     Baalbaki, Imad & Ahmed, Zafar & Pashtenko, Valentin & Makarem, Suzanne. (2008). Patient satisfaction with healthcare delivery systems. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing., 2, 47-62.

[8].     Boshoff, C., and B. Gray. (2004). The Relationship between Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Buying Intentions in the Private Hospital Industry. ‟South Africa Journal of Business Management 35 (4): 27–37.

[9].     Cheng SH, Yang MC, Chiang TL (2003). Patient satisfaction with and recommendation of a hospital: effects of interpersonal and technical aspects of hospital care. Int J Qual Health Care.

[10]. Desta, H., Berhe, T., & Hintsa, S. (2018). Assessment of patients' satisfaction and associated factors among outpatients received mental health services at public hospitals of Mekelle Town, northern Ethiopia. International journal of mental health systems, 12, 38. doi:10.1186/s13033-018-0217-z.

[11]. Dewa CS, Loong D, Bonato S, et al (2016). The relationship between physician burnout and quality of healthcare in terms of safety and acceptability: a systematic review BMJ Open 2017;7:.e015141. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015141.

[12]. Donabedian, A (2005). Evaluating the Quality of Medical Care, The Milbank Quarterly, 83(4):691- 729.

[13]. Essiam, J. (2013), Service quality and patient’s satisfaction with healthcare delivery: empirical evidence from patients of the outpatient department of a public university hospital in Ghana., European Journal of Business Management, 5(28), 52-59.

[14]. Gallagher Healthcare (2018). The Importance of Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare. Available online at https://www.gallaghermalpractice.com/blog/post/the-importance-of-patient-satisfaction-in-healthcare.

[15]. Gyapong, J., Garshong, B., Akazili, J., Aikins, M., Agyepong, I., & Nyonator, F. (2007). Critical Analysis of Ghana‟s Health System: With a focus on equity challenges and the National Health Insurance. SHIELD Work package 1 Report NDPC.

[16]. Heath, S. (2018). Patient Satisfaction and HCAHPS: What It Means for Providers. Patient Engagement Hit, https://patientengagementhit.com/features/patient-satisfaction-and-hcahps-what-it-means-for-providers.

[17]. Jenkinson C, Coulter A, Bruster S, Richards N, Chandola T. (2003). Patients' experience and satisfaction with Health Care: Results of a questionnaire study of specific aspects of care. Quality Safety Health Care, VOL 2003;11:335-339.

[18]. Kathryn, A., M., David A., C., Susan, M., G. (2004). The Role of Clinical and Process Quality in Achieving Patient Satisfaction in Hospitals, Decision Sciences, Vol: 35, NO.3, pp.349-369.

[19]. Kim SS, Kaplowitz S, Johnston MV (2004). The effects of physician empathy on patient satisfaction and compliance. Eval Health Prof. 27(3):237-51.

[20]. Kui-Son Choi, Hanjoon Lee, Chankon Kim, Sunhee Lee, (2005). "The service quality dimensions and patient satisfaction relationships in South Korea: comparisons across gender, age and types of service", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 19, NO. 3pp. 140 – 149[online], available at http//dx..org/10.1108/08876040510596812.

[21]. Kumari, R., Idris, M., Bhushan, V., Khanna, A., Agarwal, M., & Singh, S. (2009). Study on patient satisfaction in the government allopathic health facilities of Lucknow district, India. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 34(1), 35-51.

[22]. Laurent, B., Patrice, F., Elisabeth D., Georges, W. & Jose, L. (2006). Perception and use of the results of patient satisfaction surveys by care providers in French teaching hospital, International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2006; Vol:18, NO. 5, pp. 359–364.

[23]. Mekoth, N, G. Babu, Y., Dalvi, N. Rajanala, K. & Nizomadinov, C. (2012). Service encounter related process quality, patient satisfaction and behavioural. Intentional Journal of Management, 6(4), 333-350.

[24]. MOH (2007). Quality Healthcare Delivery Assessment Report. Accra: Ministry of Health.

[25]. Mohad, A., & Chakravarty, A. (2014). Patient satisfaction with services of the outpatient department. Medical journal, Armed Forces India, 70(3), 237-42.

[26]. Mosadeghrad, A. M. (2014). Factors influencing healthcare service quality. International journal of health policy and management, 3(2), 77-89. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2014.65.

[27]. Nguyen Thi, Briancon, Empereur and Guillemin. (2002). Factors determining inpatient satisfaction with care. Social Science &Medicine, 54, pp. 493-504.

[28]. Okotie, O.T., Patel, N. and Gonzalez, C.M. (2008). The effect of patient arrival time on overall wait time and utilization of physician and examination room resources in the outpatient urology clinic, Advances in Urology, available at: http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ au/2008/507436.pdf.

[29]. Otani K, Herrmann PA, Kurz RS. (2011). Improving patient satisfaction in hospital care settings. Health Serv Manage Res 2011 Nov;24(4):163-169.

[30]. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A. and Berry, L. L. (1988). „SERVQUAL: A Multiple Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality‟, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 12–40.

[31]. Peprah, A.A. (2014). Determinant of Patients‟ Satisfaction at Sunyani regional Hospital. Ghana International Business and Social Research, 4(1), 96-108.

[32]. Rao, M. Clarke, A. Sanderson, C. & Hammersley R. (2006). Patients' own assessments of quality of primary care compared with objective records-based measures of technical quality of care: Cross Sectional Study. British Medical Journal, 33(19), 355-375.

[33]. Sanjeewa G.G.C, Senevirathne R.S. (2017). Patient Satisfaction with Health Care Services Delivered at the Out Patients Department-Case Study-at Teaching Hospital Karapitiya Sri Lanka. Health Care Current Reviews, 5, 193.

[34]. Sharma, R.D., and Gupta, M. (2004). Patient satisfaction in public outpatient health care services. The Journal of Health Management, 6(1), 23-45.

[35]. Sweeney J, Brooks A.M, Leahy A (2003). Development of the Irish National Perception of Quality of Care Survey. Int J Qual Health Care. 15(2):163-8.

[36]. Turkson, P.K. (2009). Perceived quality of healthcare delivery in a rural district of Ghana. Ghana Medical Journal, 43(2), 65–70.

[37]. Zaslavsky, A.M., Beaulieu, N.D., Landon, B.E. and Cleary, P.D. (2000). Dimensions `of consumer-assessed quality of Medicare managed-care health plans, Medical Care, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 162-74.