ASSESSING CLIENTS SATISFACTION WITH MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE TAMALE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Abstract

Access to quality health service in recent times is an influencing factor in clients’ satisfaction with health service in contemporary Ghana. This study assessed the satisfaction of clients who seek medical health care at the Out Patient Department (OPD) in Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). Through convenience and random sampling techniques, 120 respondents were involved with the help of questionnaires at the OPD in TTH. The study revealed that there were many children and teenagers (36.68%) visiting the OPD for medical health care than the adults whose ages were between 18 – 30 years. The least among them were those above 50 years (8.33%). About 24.2% were satisfied with the attitude of health workers whiles 11.7% were very dissatisfied with their attitudes. However the overall assessment of patients’ satisfaction revealed that 55% of patients were satisfied with the medial health service from TTH, whiles 5% were very dissatisfied. There was a significant statistical difference in the age of patients and attitude of health workers with 70.9% of clients between 18 – 30 years being satisfied with the attitude of health workers whiles 29% were dissatisfied. About 57.1% of patients who were attended to by NHIS staff in less than 30 minutes were satisfied with service rendered in receiving NHIS folder whiles 42.9% were dissatisfied, 73.1% of patients who were attended to within 1 – 2 hours were dissatisfied with their services while 26.92% were satisfied. This explains the importance patients attached to quick access to medical care with little time spent at the OPD. The study results show that many patients were not educated on the patients’ charter regarding health service delivery at TTH, very few of them were aware of their rights and responsibility with Ghana Health Service prescribed ethics of the patients’ charter. The study recommend management of TTH to put the interest and satisfaction of clients first in the delivery of health service since many of the respondents were influenced to seek health care at the facility based on the quality of health care given to them and the good relationship between doctor-patient at TTH than other health facilities.