Surveys of
patient satisfaction are widely used for identifying priorities and problems in
healthcare reforms. The present study examined
satisfaction and confidence of
patients in public
healthcare in
Trinidad and Tobago. Data were gathered by interviewing a random sample (n = 280) of
primary healthcare (PHC)
patients. Level of
patient satisfaction was high but not constant. Results of interviews showed that
patients with a higher monthly
income (p = 0.032) and
patients who most recently used private
medical care (p = 0.037) had lower levels of
satisfaction with
health services.
Employment had an effect on
satisfaction (p = 0.065), significant among
patients who had recently accessed private
medical care (p = 0.039).
Patients using PHC clinics preferred private care to public care. Confidence in public care decreased with increasing complexity of the medical condition. These preliminary results support continued efforts in
health-sector reforms and call for the enhancement of data on
satisfaction through more comprehensive qualitative data-collection
methods.