Resumé
Background: Satisfaction is important in dental care because satisfaction with care alleviates dental anxiety, influences patients’ compliance and is an important indicator of quality of care.
Objectives: This study was designed to determine the factors that contribute to satisfaction with dental care among patients attending the Lagos State University (LASUTH) Dental Clinic.
Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive questionnaire-based survey was conducted among adult patients attending the LASUTH Dental Clinic. The questionnaire, a modification of the Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire (DSQ), contained 19 items on a Likertpattern scale with scores ranging from 0 to 4.
Results: The scores obtained for satisfaction with the dental services ranged from 19 to 75 with a mean of 55.30 ±11.55. The majority of respondents (305 or 87.4%) were satisfied with the services received. The items generating the highest and lowest mean satisfaction score were cleanliness/ comfort of the facility and cost of services respectively. Long waiting time was the item respondents liked least about the services. There was a statistically significant relationship between the items assessing communication and respondent’s gender (p=0.001). The relationship between the overall satisfaction score and gender (p=0.233), age category (p=0.842) and educational status (p=0.565) were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The results indicate a high level of satisfaction with services provided at the LASUTH Dental Clinic. However, there is need for improvement in communication with patients and reduction in waiting time.
Keywords: Patient satisfaction, dental outpatient, quality of care.
Résumé
Introduction : La satisfaction est importante dans les soins dentaires parce que la satisfaction avec soin soulage réduit l’anxiété dentaire, influence sur l’acquiescement des patients et constitue un indicateur important de la qualité des soins. Cette étude a été conçue pour déterminer les facteurs qui contribuent à la satisfaction du soin dentaire parmi les patients à la clinique dentaire de l’Université de l’état de Lagos (LASUTH). Une enquête transversale, descriptive par questionnaire a été réalisée chez les patients adultes qui fréquentent la clinique dentaire LASUTH.
Méthodologie: Le questionnaire, une modification du questionnaire de satisfaction dentaire (DSQ), contenait 19 composantes sur une échelle de Likert-modèle avec des scores allant de 0 à 4.
Résultats : Les scores obtenus pour la satisfaction des services dentaires variaient de 19 à 75 avec une moyenne de 55,30 ± 11,55. La majorité des répondants (305 ou 87,4%) étaient satisfaits des services reçus. Les composantes générant le score de satisfaction le plus élevé et le plus faible moyenne étaient propreté / confort de l’établissement et le coût des services respectivement. Long temps d’attente était l’élément les répondants aimaient le moins sur les services. Il y avait une relation statistiquement significative entre les éléments permettant d’évaluer la communication et le sexe du répondant (p = 0,001). La relation entre le score de satisfaction totale et le sexe (p = 0,233), catégorie d’âge (p = 0,842) et le niveau d’instruction (p = 0,565) n’étaient pas statistiquement significatives.
Conclusion : Les résultats indiquent un niveau élevé de satisfaction quant aux services offerts à la clinique dentaire de LASUTH. Cependant, il est nécessaire d’améliorer la communication avec les patients et la réduction des temps d’attente.
Correspondence: Dr. Abiola Adeniyi, Dental Department, LASUTH, P.O. Box 21005, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. E-mail: biolawal@yahoo.com
Referencer
Stewart JF and Spencer AJ. Dental Satisfaction Survey 1999. AIHW Cat No. DEN 98. Adelaide: AIHW Dental Statistics and Research Unit, The University of Adelaide Press 2002.
Stewart JF and Spencer AJ. Dental Satisfaction Survey 2002. AIHW cat. no. DEN 141. Adelaide: AIHW Dental Statistics and Research Unit, The University of Adelaide 2005.
Madan Kumar P.D and Zahra F. Factors affecting patient satisfaction among those attending an outpatient department in Chennai city -India. J IAPHD 2008; 12: 15 – 19.
Newsome PRH and Wright GH. A review of patient satisfaction: 1. Concepts of satisfaction. Br Dent J.1999; 186(4): 161-165.
Ntabaye MK, Scheutz F and Poulsen S. Patient satisfaction with emergency oral healthcare in rural Tanzania. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1998; 26(5): 289-295.
Reifel NM, Rana H and Marcus M. Consumer satisfaction. Adv Dent Res. 1997; 11(2): 281-290.
World Health Organization. Global Oral Health Data Bank. Geneva: World Health Organization 2001.
Adegbembo AO. Household utilization of dental services in Ibadan Nigeria. Community. Dent Oral Epidemiol 1994; 2(5): 338-339.
Akaji EA, Oredugba FA and Jeboda SO. Utilization of dental services among secondary school students in Lagos Nigeria. Nig. Dent. J. 2007;15: 87-91.
Akpata ES. Oral health in Nigeria. Int Dent J 2004;54(6Suppl 1): 361-366.
Earthtrends. Poverty resource: Nigeria information page. [Internet]. (Cited on 2011 December 10). Available from: http://earthtrends.wri.org/povlinks/country/nigeria.php.
Orenuga OO, Sofola OO and Uti OG. Patient satisfaction: A survey of dental outpatients at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Nigeria. Nig QT J Hosp Med 2009; 19(1): 47-52.
Sitzia J and Wood N. Patient satisfaction: a review of issues and concepts. Soc Sci Med. 1997; 45: 1829-1843.
Al-Mudafa BA, Moussa MAA., Al-Terky MA, Al-Dakhil GD, El-Farargy AE and Al-Ouzairi SS. Patient Satisfaction with Three Dental Speciality Services: A Centre-Based Study. Med Princ Pract 2003; 12: 39–43.
Sur H, Haydar O, Yildirim C and Mumcu G. Patient satisfaction with dental outpatient clinics in Turkey. Croat Med J 2004; 45(5): 651-654.
Handelman SL, Fan-Hsu J and Proskin HM. Patient satisfaction in four types of dental practice. J Am Dent Assoc. 1990; 121: 624-630.
Gopalakrishna P and Munnaleneni V. Influencing satisfaction for dental services. J Health Care Market.1993; 13: 16-22.
Williams SJ and Calnan M. Convergence and divergence: assessing criteria of consumer satisfaction across general practice, dental and hospital care settings. Soc Sci Med. 1991; 33: 707-716.
Gurdal P, Cankaya H, Onem E, Dincer S and Yilmaz T. Factors of patient satisfaction/dissatisfaction in a dental faculty outpatient clinic in Turkey. Comm Dent Oral Epidemiol.2000; 28: 461-469.
Kikwulu EN, Kahabuka FK, Masalu JR and Senkoro A. Satisfaction with oral urgent care among adult Tanzanians. J Oral Sci 2009; 51(1): 47-54