In-patients satisfaction with healthcare in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Background: Patients' satisfaction is an increasingly common and important component of a comprehensive assessment of quality of care. Objective: This study was designed to determine inpatients' satisfaction with healthcare in a Nigerian tertiary health institution. Methods: Patients were majorly selected from the wards while a few were selected from the out-patients clinic during their follow-up period through a purposive sampling technique into this cross-sectional survey of a tertiary health institution in Nigeria. The instrument used was a selfdeveloped, patient-administered questionnaire on inpatients' satisfaction with healthcare. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, means, percentages, pie charts. Results: The participants (61 males and 59 females) had a mean total satisfaction score of 58.2% ± 12.1% and sixtysix (55.0%) participants reported good level of satisfaction. Participants within the age range 18-27 reported the highest mean satisfaction score of 47.8%±13.0%. Participants' mean satisfaction scores on healthcare provided by the health workers were 69.4% ±21.9% for health records staff, 78.5%±14.5% for hospital ward staff, 70.6%±13.6% for doctors, 68.5%±12.4% for nurses and 70.5%±15.1% for physiotherapists. The specific aspect of service where participants had the highest mean satisfaction score was electricity (72.9% ±21.2%) while the least mean satisfaction score was on ease of payment (42.5%±28.6%). Conclusion: Level of in-patients' satisfaction with healthcare at this Nigerian tertiary health institution appears good. Keywords: Patient-centred outcome, satisfaction, health institution