Service delivery and customer satisfaction in public hospitals in Uganda: A case study of Hoima Regional Referral Hospital

Abstract

This study is about Service delivery and Customer satisfaction in Ugandan hospitals. It was guided by three objectives namely :to establish how medical staff working schedules affect customer satisfaction; to establish how services prior and during dispensing influence customer satisfaction and to establish how patients’ demographic factors influence customer satisfaction. The study adopted a case study design using a combination approach targeting patients, medical staff, managers and patient’s attendants. Using a sample size of 105 respondents were selected randomly, purposively or conveniently. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires, Key Informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions before processing and analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists. Findings show that the proportion of patients that considered services as perfect was 54.1%. The working schedules were on average inconveniencing to the patients due to long waiting, inaccessible specialists and difficult appointments; with the average score for convenience of 2.6. Services offered were positively associated with customer satisfaction with medical staff courteousness reported by 77% of respondents. A weak association (not statistically significant)was found between patients’ demographic factors and customer satisfaction. In conclusion, working schedules were found to negatively influence customer satisfaction while services offered before and during dispensing had a positive influence on customer satisfaction. However, demographic factors did not significantly influence and customer satisfaction. It is therefore recommended that the Ministry of Health and Hospital managers generate focused work schedule, service focused and customer satisfaction related strategies and policies based on findings.