Patient satisfaction with Urban and Rural Insurance and Family Physician Program in Iran

• Main Authors: Magid Taheri, Ahmad Amani, Rita Zahiri, Mehri Mohammadi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2011-03-01
• Series: Journal of Family and Reproductive Health
• Subjects: Satisfaction; Family physician; Rural and urban health center; Arak University of Medical Sciences
• Online Access: https://jfrh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfrh/article/view/115
• ISSN: 1735-8949; 1735-9392

Objective:The family physician program is one of the basic programs of the Fourth Plan on Economic, Social and Cultural Development in the health sector. This program more than five years old, is currently deployed in all villages and urban areas with populations less than 20,000 people in Iran. This study was conducted with the aim of measuring User's Satisfaction with Family Physician Program in Markazi Province in the fall of 2010. The main objective of this study was determining client satisfaction with family physician program in Markazi Province. Materials and methods: This study is descriptive - analytic and cross sectional, and was conducted at 40 medical centers with family physician services in the province. Demographic characteristics of individuals, personnel behavior, time spent in consultations, guidance and training, service costs, adequacy of services, ability and skills of personnel, access to medical facilities, adequacy of facilities and equipment, were the basis of a questionnaire and interview of registered patients or their relatives, was conducted. Results: 391 people were interviewed during the three months  The average age was 38.24±17.02 years, 66.5 percent of them were women and 81.3 percent of women were married. 34.52 percent of patients in the high or very high categories were satisfied with the whole performance of health centers. This High or very high level of satisfaction was about the performance of family physicians, midwives, laboratory and pharmacy, respectively 33.1, 37.1, 36.8 and 38.3. Conclusion: In general, the program has been successful in the province. Policymakers can achieve a higher level of satisfaction in the long term based on comments from service recipients and promoting the program and some program processes.