Assessment of Patient Satisfaction and associated factors in Outpatient Services of Internal Medicine Department at Saint Paul’s Hospital 2025 GC.

Abstract

Abstract Background: Patient satisfaction is a vital indicator of healthcare quality, especially in outpatient settings. Globally, it is influenced by communication, waiting time, environment, and provider behavior. In Ethiopia, outpatient satisfaction rates vary widely, and specific data from Internal Medicine departments are lacking—especially at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC). Objective: To assess the level of patient satisfaction and associated factors among clients attending the Internal Medicine outpatient department at SPHMMC, 2025. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 422 patients using systematic random sampling. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 25. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used. It included socio-demographic data, service factors (e.g., waiting time), and a Likert-scale satisfaction checklist. The collected data was first checked for completeness and consistency, then entered into EpiData and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics summarized patient characteristics and satisfaction scores. Associations were assessed using binary logistic regression, with Crude Odds Ratios (COR), Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR), 95% Confidence Intervals (CI), and p-values. Variables with p < 0.25 in bivariate analysis were entered multivariable regression, and significance was declared at p < 0.05. Ethical approval was secured from the SPHMMC Institutional Review Board. Participants were given informed consent, and confidentiality was ensured. Result: A total of 404 participants were included in the study. Most respondents were aged 18–44 years (64.1%), male (61.4%), married (62.1%), and had college or university education (43.1%). Clear consultation was reported by 85.1% of participants, while 71.8% experienced prolonged waiting time, and 75.0% perceived the facility as clean. Overall, 87.1% of respondents reported moderate to high satisfaction with Internal Medicine outpatient services. Multivariable analysis showed that consultation clarity, waiting time, and facility cleanliness were significantly associated with patient satisfaction, whereas older age and female gender were associated with lower satisfaction. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction with Internal Medicine outpatient services at SPHMMC was generally high. Consultation clarity emerged as the most important determinant of satisfaction, while prolonged waiting time and poor facility cleanliness negatively affected patient experience. Older age and female gender were associated with lower satisfaction. Targeted interventions focusing on improving provider–patient communication, reducing waiting times, enhancing facility cleanliness, and addressing the needs of older and female patients are essential to improve patient-centered outpatient care.