Evaluation of Patients Expectations and Experience towards Health Care Services Provided by Family Physicians

Aim of study: to evaluate the patients expectations and experience of health care services provided by family physicians at public and private health care settings in Panevėžys. Objectives: 1) to evaluate the expectations of patients towards health care provided by family physicians; 2) to evaluate the patients experience of health care services provided by family physicians as well as associations between expectations and experience; 3) to compare the concordance between expectations and experience in public and private health care settings. Material and methods. Study was conducted in 12–24 December 2010 at one public polyclinic and three private health care settings in Panevėžys city. The participants were the patients 18 years old and older. Altogether, 400 questionnaires were distributed and 375 were returned (response rate 86.2%). Statistical data analyses were performed using „MS Excel“ and „SPSS for Windows 14.0“ software package. Results. Analysis of expectations showed that more than 90% of responders would like to get to physician on appointed time, that schedule of family physician be convenient for patients, the staff be very skilled and rapidly solve the issues as well as accept the complaints, show the respect to patients privacy, and be polite. The comparison of expectations and experience revealed that 70% of responders have not covered expectation of reaching a physician without a prior registration, 80% – expectation to contact a physician by phone, about 50% – expectation to visit a physician on appointed time precisely. Out of 14 aspects of health care services, 7 in public sector and 9 in private sector show weak but statistically significant correlation between patients expectations and experience, which means concordance between experience and expectations. Conclusions. Most patients positively rate the quality of health care services at family physician level. However, they are not that satisfied about imprecision between appointed and real time of appointment as well as about some aspects of staff communication. In majority of cases patients‘ expectations and experience concord, though in private settings the main expectations are met in practice more than in public settings – concerning the staff competence and information on diagnostic and treatment matters. Both in public and private sector the communication of staff was rated poorly. Recommendations. In order to meet the patients‘ expectations, the physicians should provide them the opportunity to contact by phone, bring to practice more precise timing of appointments as well as improve the communication skills between staff and patients