Patients satisfaction toward health services in primary health care centre in riyadh, saudi arabia

ABSTRACT

Cross section study using Arabic questionnaire for attending patients to primary health care center was conducted at five primary health care centers in Riyadh over a period of two weeks [14 July to 28 July 1996], to assess patients' satisfaction toward health services in PHC centers. During the study period 687 questionnaires were collected and analysed. More than half of the patients [54.4%] were satisfied about primary health care services, while 34.5% of patients were borderline in their catisfaction, and 11.1% of patients were not satisfied. The reasons of patients lack of satisfaction were difficult accessibility to dental clinic [37.3%] PHC building [28.8%], long waiting time [28.8%], inadequate drug in the pharmacy [25.9%], inadequate lab. Facilities [19.5%, defect in the consultation [17.8%],lack of communication skills by the murse [10.9%], and lack of communication skills by the receptionists [9.3%].The opinion of patients toward the methods of improving health care centers were to improve accessibility to dental clinic [50.5%], to improve drug supply to the pharmacy [44,7%], to improve PHC building [40.4%], to minimize the waiting time [37.3%], to imrove lab. Facilities [31.1%],to improve the competency level of the PHC physicians [28.1%], and to improve communication skills of PHC team. The high authority and leaders at ministry of health need to consider batients; opinion and their reasones of unsatisfaction while planning to improve health services in primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia