PATIENT SATISFACTION AT COMPREHENSIVE CARE CENTERS (CCC) POINTS-OF-CARE IN LEVEL 5 PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES IN KENYA

Quality of care in government public facilities is important for ehnancing patients satisfaction and hence retention of patients in care especially in cases where treatment is life long such as HIV/AIDS. The Kenya Quality Model (KQM) was developed to improve quality and patients satisfaction with care in public hospitals. The purpose of this study was to assess patients‟ satisfaction with HIV/AIDS services at the level 5 comprehensive care centres (CCC). The specific objectives included profiling of patients satisfaction, determine the relationship between patients satisfaction with quality of service; determine the influence of patient reported outcomes on the quality perceptions; determine the influence of patients‟ biomarkers on satisfaction; and, determine the influence of sociodemographic factors on satisfaction with services at the CCC in level 5 public health facilities in Kenya. This was a cross sectional study conducted in three level 5 public health facilities, namely; Machakos, Rift Valley Provincial Hospital-Nakuru and Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital-Kisumu. Three hundred and ninety (390) patients were interviewed using a questionnaire that consistent of three sections:sociodemographics characterisitics; service quality (SERVQUAL) and Patient Reported Outcome (PRO). Secondary data on biomarkers were retrieved from patients‟ records. Data analysis was done using SPSS. The study findings showed that the average service score gap for all patients was -0.42, indicating that the expectations were higher than perceptions. There was a positive relationship (r = 0.699, or 69.9 %) between the service quality and patients satisfaction. There was no significant relation between PROs and patients‟ satisfaction (r=0.055). Biomarkers and socio-demographic factors (e.g. gender, age and education levels) of patients had no significant influence on patients satisfaction (χ 2 =7.788, p=0.454 and χ 2 =2.552, p= 0.279, respectively). In conclusion, there is a fairly strong relationship between quality of health care services provided and patient satisfaction at level 5 public health facilities, and that there is need for patient opinions in health service provision as a policy matter, now and in future. There is need for patient satisfaction studies to be carried out regularly; facilities enhance their capacities for Cd4++ and Cd8++ cell counts through robust and regular budgetary allocation. There is also need for similar studies for all other KEPH levels, i.e. KEPH levels 2, 3, 4 and 6. The facts brought out through such deliberate initiatives would help health system managers to prudently manage by properly allocating resources where they are required and improve patient satisfaction with health service provision in the public health facilities.