Patients’ satisfaction with the quality of services accessed under the National Health Insurance Scheme at a Tertiary Health Facility in FCT Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction is increasingly gaining importance as one of the main tools for the assessment of the quality of healthcare delivery and its impact from the patients’ perspective. This study assessed patient satisfaction with services accessed under the National Health Insurance Scheme at a tertiary health facility in FCT Abuja, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among NHIS patients attending the General Outpatient Department at the National Hospital FCT Abuja, Nigeria between April and September 2017. Data was collected from 388 patients selected by systematic random sampling; using pretested, anonymous, self-administered, structured questionnaires, with each satisfaction area scored on a five-point Likert scale ordinal response. Evaluation was done from the typical complaints received from NHIS enrollees such as: hospital reception and patient registration process, waiting time, doctors’ consultations, laboratory services, availability of prescribed drugs and hospital facilities. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0.

Results: The overall average satisfaction score was 58.1%. The satisfaction score with various aspects of services were: doctors’ consultation (69.9%), laboratory services (66.5%), hospital facilities (62.2%), hospital services (60.4%), reception/registration (59.8%), waiting time (59%) and prescribed drugs (54.2%).

Conclusion: The patient’s overall satisfaction was good. However, unavailability of prescribed drugs, long registration processes and waiting time were found to be the major causes of dissatisfaction. Therefore concerted efforts should be directed by all stakeholders towards the areas of patient dissatisfaction through better service delivery.

Keywords: Patient Satisfaction, Services, Health insurance, Health facility, Nigeria