Levels of satisfaction of patient treated at Government Dental Hospital with respect to different demographic characteristics

It is essential to take account of different levels of clinical need in order to measure the fair use of health care. Patient satisfaction is a multi-dimensional healthcare issue, affected by many factors. Healthcare quality affects patient satisfaction, and in result it influences on positive patient behavior such as confidence in hospital care. Measurement of patient satisfaction is expected to play an increasingly important role in the growing push toward accountability among health care providers overshadowed by measures of clinical processes and outcomes in the quality of care equation. There is not much emphasis on the behavioral aspects in the training programs in our teaching colleges. This study was planned to measure the patient satisfaction in teaching hospital, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir to assess the quality of care provided in terms of patients' satisfaction. A total sample size of 300 participants was collected by consecutive sampling technique. Participants were interviewed privately face to face in the hospital premises, different characteristics of hospital like behavior of doctor, paramedical staff, waiting time, and treatment etc. which can affect the patient satisfaction were measured percentage level, 0% least satisfied and 100% most satisfied. The highest mean percent satisfaction score (64.15±11.61) was seen in age interval of 25-35 years. The higher satisfaction was seen in females. It was also seen that patient satisfaction depends upon educational status of the patients, similarly highest satisfaction was seen in low income class who had mean percent satisfaction score of 63.34±10.09 and it decreased as income level increased and become minimum in highest income level. The results of the present study denote that patient socio demographic characteristics affect patient satisfaction levels. Similarly it was noted in this present study that age, gender, marital status, education level and income level of patients have effect on their satisfaction score.