Patients express satisfaction with care and treatment

Dubai: Nine out of ten patients who visited hospitals and clinics at the Dubai Health Care City (DHCC) have responded that they were satisfied with the services rendered.

This was revealed in a Patient Satisfaction Survey (PSS) conducted by an independent market research company to close the gaps in health-care delivery, a DHCC spokesperson revealed.

The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 500 patients in 2014-2015. Patients were selected from six categories of hospitals and clinics on the campus according to footfall at these places.

The questionnaire covered four indicators of satisfaction — namely, facilities and premises, the appointment process, hospital staff and referrals.

According to the findings, the patients revealed that they were not only satisfied with the staff and health-care practitioners across all categories at DHCC, they were also willing to recommend the facilities they were currently visiting to their friends and colleagues.

Highest satisfaction was observed in care/treatment, staff/health-care practitioner interaction, and areas of safety and hygiene.

Commenting on the survey results, Dr Raja Al Gurg, vice-chairperson and executive director of DHCC, said: “The [survey] results are important to measure performance and make continuous improvements. We are proud of having maintained a high level of satisfaction, especially with the majority of patients reporting positive experience at DHCC facilities.”

The survey provided insights into the patient profile — represented by Asian expatriates (majority) followed by Arab expatriates, Emiratis and Western expatriates. The top three reasons for visiting were prescheduled appointments, followed by check-ups for a current medical condition and routine check-ups.

A majority of the patients in small clinics stated that they were informed about cost, risks and possible outcomes of the treatment they were receiving. Conversely, patients from medium to large clinical facilities were observed to be relatively less informed.

The areas identified where satisfaction could be increased included directions/signage within and outside DHCC and an external factor — access to public transport.

Remarking on the utility of this important feedback from patients, Dr Ramadan Al Beloushi, managing director, DHCC — Regulatory, said: “It’s not just about getting the patients involved, but using their feedback in our strategies to improve patient satisfaction and looking into areas of concern in hospitals and clinics. Consistent with international studies, the survey pointed out that personal care is associated with higher levels of satisfaction.”