Abstract

Objective: To know the level as well as determinants of patients' satisfactions with the medical services at tertiary care allied hospitals of Rawalpindi.
Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted in three tertiary care allied hospitals i.e. Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Head Quarter (DHQ) Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. It included 180 patients who was selected by using stratified-convenient sampling method. Interview schedule was used for data collection.
Results: Patients with lower income and education preferred public hospitals for treatment. 82.6% patients were quite satisfied with the services and facilities available at public hospitals. Most were satisfied with the attitude of the doctors but majority of respondents were looking annoyed with the attitude of staff and nurses. Out of total 82.6% satisfied patients, the satisfaction of 74.2% was simply based on getting free medical services and medicines whereas; out of total 17.4% dissatisfied patients, more than half were displeased merely because they did not get expensive medicines free of cost from hospitals. Same determinant was also influencing the decision of selecting health care services, as two third of the respondents chose public hospital because of free medical services and medicines while 32% select for other reasons.
Conclusion: Majority of the patients were quite satisfied with the services and facilities available at public hospitals whereby economic determinant was dominating.

Key words: Patients, Satisfaction, Government hospital, patients' expectations.