Utilization pattern and perception on service quality among patients attending Out Patient Department, District General Hospital, Kalutara.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Outpatient department (OPD) is an important wing of a hospital. Assessment of patients’ perceived quality is a useful measure in identifying quality gaps to plan corrective actions to improve the quality of service delivery. OBJECTIVES: This paper outlines the distribution of patients during the opening hours and their perception on service quality in the OPD of District General Hospital, Kalutara. METHODS: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted, taking a sample of 423 patients aged 18-70 years, using systematic sampling technique and collecting data with a validated and a culturally adapted interviewer administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Average daily attendance was 1154; 53% attended before 10 am; 30% between 10 am - 2 pm and only 8.8% between 2 pm - 4 pm and 9% between 4pm - 8pm. Patients’ positive perceptions on service quality were as follows; Functional quality 61.2%, Technical quality 83.1%, Environment quality 65.3% and Administrative quality 66.5%.There were significant associations between time of arrival and perception of functional quality (p=0.026), environment quality (p=0.011) and administrative quality (p=0.004). However there is no association between time of arrival and perception of technical quality (p=0.590). CONCLUSIONS: Afternoon and evening sessions are under-utilized. There is considerable scope for the improvement of all four aspects of quality. Perception of quality has been affected by the patients’ time of arrival. Measures are to be taken to improve all aspects of quality and to popularize evening opening hours of the OPD.