THE impression and experience of patients of the services in three remote hospitals in Iloilo were satisfactory, according to a recent survey conducted by Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica).
Held as an assessment tool, the survey used 750 respondents from inter-local health zones were Aleosan District Hospital, Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Sr. Memorial Hospital and Jesus M. Colmenares District Hospital.
The survey showed most of the patient (77.5 percent) found the hospital “well managed” and the same percentage has availed of the services of the outpatient department more than once.
Most of the patient (77.2 percent) also said they have a “good feeling about the hospital” and 76.7 percent would recommend the hospitals to their families and friends.
Majority (76.4 percent) said the “hospital provides good delivery services”, while 76 percent of the family members of the patient found the hospital more convenient.
Most of the patients (75.9 percent) also said the hospital provided “good services to community people” and it has “good pregnancy care.”
In terms of the way staff members tried to prevent, reduce or manage pain, 74.7 percent of the patients said they were “overall satisfied” and 71.1 percent said they “received enough help from the medical staff.”
In terms of the patient’s satisfaction of facility, food and equipment, 73.6 percent found their rooms clean and orderly and 71.6 percent found their comfort rooms clean.
Meanwhile, 68.7 percent found the hospital facilities comfortable, 64 percent found the hospital food clean, 60.9 percent said the quality of hospital food was sufficient to support the recovery of their patients and more than half (57.5 percent) said the hospital has complete equipment.
Conducted from April 18 until May 12, Professor Han Dongwoon of the Department of Global Health and Development of Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea said the respondents were uniquely positioned to provide insightful comments about their care.
Doctor Han, also the project manager of Koica’s Iloilo Geographically Isolated and Disadvantage Area Health System Strengthening Project (Gida-HSSP), said the lack of comparable patient experience data was the reason for the conduct of the patient satisfaction survey.
From the program’s point of view, Han explained that the result of the survey “reinforced the call for continued investments in maternal and child health program which were indispensable for achieving reduced infant and child mortality and morbidity…”
It also confirms that, while the mechanisms of influence vary across different cultural settings, the key factors (maternal and child health program) per se exerts a dominating influence.
He suggested that public health policies should not focus mainly on the key factors since there were other factors that affect healthcare utilization like the patient’s accessibility to health facilities.
The result of the patient satisfaction survey was presented to stakeholders during the recent closing ceremony for Koica’s three-year Iloilo Gida-HSSP in Casa Real de Iloilo. (Jezza Nepomoceno)