Patient satisfaction with outpatient neurology services: A momentum for improvement

Background: Outcome measures of patient satisfaction are increasingly accepted as an integral component of the overall healthcare quality assessment. Aims of study: A survey of the outpatient neurology services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was performed to determine the overall patient satisfaction, provide an assessment of current services and form the foundation for improved expansion of neurological care. Methods: 233 patients were recruited from the Addis Ababa University Teaching Hospital outpatient general neurology clinic by a cross-sectional sample survey design. Data from structured interview and abstraction of medical records were analyzed by SPSS for Windows version 15.0 computer software. Visual analysis of mean satisfaction scores and Spearman's rho correlation coefficients generated priority indices serving to guide expansion of neurology services. Results: 212 patients with mean age of 40.1 and a 1:1 M: F ratio completed the survey. The variation of overall patient satisfaction (mean, 70.4; SD, 12.4) was independently predicted by patient clinical outcome expectations and satisfaction on waiting area, overall service of doctor and card room [R2 = 0.305; F (8,195) = 10.685, p = 0.000]. Mean satisfaction scores for specific dimensions of the outpatient general neurology clinic ranged from 57.2 for waiting time at the clinic to 74.0 for overall service of the guards. Waiting time at the clinic stood first among the top five priority indices. Conclusion: This survey demonstrates predictors of overall patient satisfaction with the outpatient neurology services, and delineates priority areas warranting further improvement. It is the first African study on patient satisfaction with neurology services, and provides a guide for neurological or other specialty clinics seeking to improve and expand medical services. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.