Evaluation of the level of satisfaction of patients hospitalized in the COVID-19 wards of the affiliated hospitals of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in the years 2020-2021, a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Today, the coronavirus has covered the whole world and has affected not only the body of the patients but also their psyche. Patient satisfaction is one of the quality indicators of health care in medical centers in all countries. The present study investigated the level of patients hospitalized in the wards of Covid-19 hospitals affiliated with Zahedan University of Medical Sciences from December 21, 2020, to June 21, 2021. Materials and Methods: The present study was cross-sectional-analytical and included the evaluation of the level of satisfaction with the services provided to 194 patients with covid-19 hospitalized in affiliated hospitals of Zahedan city from December 21, 2020, to June 21, 2021. The sampling method was easy and accessible. To collect information, a questionnaire including questions to measure the level of satisfaction of the patients was prepared and provided to the patients. The questionnaire consisted of two parts;one part included personal information, including age, gender, marital status, level of education, and the department and hospital where the people were admitted. The second part included questions about the patient's level of satisfaction with the services and conditions of the hospital and the department where they were admitted. Statistical analysis was done using an independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, or Kruskal-Wallis Statistical analysis was done using IMB SPSS V20.0 software, and an alpha error value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 194 people were included in the study. The highest level of satisfaction was related to the speed of file filing and the guidance of the receptionist (78.9%), the lighting of the room (77.3%), the behavior and attitude of the nurses (69.1%), and the quality of the hospital food (60.3%). Also, the lowest level of satisfaction was related to the cooling and heating system of the room (13.9%), facilities and facilities of the room (6.7%), and hygiene and cleanliness of different parts of the department (2.6%). Conclusion: There is no significant relationship between insurance, marriage, and gender with the level of patient satisfaction. But a meaningful relationship between education, ward, and hospital with the level of patient satisfaction has been observed. Considering the average level of patient satisfaction, to reach a high level of happiness, it is possible to take steps to improve the quality of medical and non-medical services and increase the satisfaction of patients by strengthening the positive points and also analyzing cases of patient dissatisfaction.