Patient Satisfaction in Isfahan Al-Zahra Hospital and Related Factors

Authors
Mahsa Ghojavand
Ranaa Sadat Shafizadeh
Mohammad Reza Sadeghi
Sara Esfidani
Azimeh Ghorbanian
Mohammad Ali Jalilvand
10.61186/ibj.25th-11th-IACRTIMSS
Abstract
Introduction: Patient satisfaction is an important indicator and a renowned standard for evaluating the effectiveness of services provided in hospitals. Patient satisfaction refers to a patient's perception of how well the provider meets their needs and expectations. Obviously, it reflects the quality of healthcare delivery and service reforms. Therefore, identifying factors related to patient satisfaction is paramount to improving healthcare quality and patient outcomes. The present study aimed to determine patient satisfaction in Al-Zahra Hospital and its related aspects.

Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the Al-Zahra Hospital patients (Isfahan, Iran) in 2024. According to the sample size calculations, the total sample size was 180. For data collection, after obtaining the necessary permits, the research team members appeared in the hospital's inpatient and emergency departments. The sampling method was convenience sampling. After explaining the objectives, the patients who desired to participate in the study were entered. The study tool comprised two dimensions: the first dimension included demographic information. In contrast, the second dimension consisted of the Persian version of the telephone-based patient satisfaction questionnaire, which had previously been validated. The data were analyzed using descriptive (central and distribution statistics) and analytical (independent t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square) statistics using STATA V 17.

Results: In this study, the average age of participants was 50 ±17 years. Almost half (52%) of the subjects were male, and the rest were female. Also, 62% were married, 16% were single, and the rest were divorced or widowed. Additionally, 58% had a diploma or less education, and the others had academic education. The income of 86% of the participants was less than 10 million Tomans per month, and most of these patients were admitted to orthopedic, emergency, and surgical wards, respectively. The average score for patient satisfaction was 70 ± 17%. Study results showed no significant relationship between patient satisfaction and marital status, age, education, income, or inpatient ward. However, a significant relationship exists between patient satisfaction and gender (p < 0.05).

Conclusion and Discussion: The findings indicate that the patient satisfaction score at Al-Zahra Hospital is unsatisfactory; therefore, it is essential to investigate the underlying reasons to enhance the quality of services. The findings also showed that most factors, such as marital status, age, education, income, and Inpatient ward, have no association with patient satisfaction in Al-Zahra Hospital. In this case, previous studies conducted in other places, including Kerman and Pakistan, have reported mixed findings. Unlike this study, previous studies found no significant relationship between patient satisfaction and gender. Hence, the findings of this study cannot be generalized to all hospitals, and further studies are needed to identify related factors.


Keywords
Hospitals
Iran
Patient satisfaction