A Study of Patient Satisfaction With Healthcare in Zenica-Doboj Canton

• Main Authors: Šeila Cilović Lagarija, Elma Kuduzović, Nino Hasanica, Sead Begagić, Amela Džubur-Alić, Delila Lisica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Medicine Osijek 2020-11-01
• Series: Southeastern European Medical Journal
• Subjects: patient satisfaction; healthcare; europep
• Online Access: http://seemedj.mefos.unios.hr/index.php/seemedj/article/view/152/92

Aim: Patient satisfaction and patient evaluation of healthcare can be seen as important results of provided care, as they reflect the level to which the patient’s subjective and objective needs have been met. The aim was to evaluate patient satisfaction with healthcare and compare the results for 2017 with the results from 2011. Methods: The study was conducted in the territory of Zenica-Doboj Canton in May 2011 and in October 2017. A questionnaire was filled out by 2,008 examinees in 2011 and by 2,000 examinees in 2017 outside healthcare institutions (in the street), using the EUROPEP questionnaire as a research instrument. The average age of the respondents was 38.4. The participants in the study were 52 % male and 48 % female. Student’s T-test was used to compare the results between the two samples. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed between the mean patient satisfaction in 2011 (3.19 ± 0.3, min. = 2.6, max. = 3.83, P = 0.00032) and the mean patient satisfaction in 2017 (3.47 ± 0.17, min. = 3.14, max. = 3.94, P = 0.000647), t(23) = 3.75. Increase in patient satisfaction in 2017 is evident compared to their satisfaction in 2011. Conclusion: Surveying the satisfaction of healthcare recipients should be a common method of work as it gives the patients the impression that their opinion is valued, while at the same time it indicates to healthcare staff that their attitudes may need to be changed, their knowledge expanded and the organization of work improved, if they want to provide services of improved quality.