Methodology
Design: cross – sectional studyDuration: 2 months starting from March 14th till May 15th 2015
Setting: Baghdad Teaching hospital – departments of medicine and surgery
Sample: a convenient sample of 200 inpatients of which 120 were from the department of medicine and 80 were from the department of surgery.
Field work:
The opinions of patients regarding Baghdad teaching hospital were harvested through a set of questionnaire established by the research team and approved by their supervisor. The questionnaire included 18 questions that aimed to evaluate both the staff performance and hospital services. Each question comprised three possible answers: I agree, I disagree, I don't know.
Thereafter, the research team organized a scoring system: 2 points for choosing "I agree", 0 points for choosing "I disagree" while 1 point was given for selecting "I don't know".
According to the points earned, patients' satisfaction regarding the hospital performance was classified:
12 points or less was described as "poor satisfaction"
12 – 24 points was described as "fair satisfaction"
24 - 36 points or more was described as ''good satisfaction"
Pilot study:
Samples of the questionnaire were handed out to 20 participants aiming to pinpoint any obstacles that can be encountered in filling in the questionnaire and estimate the time required to complete the forms. The participants involved in the pilot study were excluded from the study sample.The questions that best reflect patients' opinions concerning hospital performance were listed in the questionnaire as follows:
Patients' feedback on hospital staff performance:
- The doctor took a full history from you
- The doctor examined you thoroughly
- The staff is knowledgeable and you did not receive conflicting information from them
- It was easy to communicate with the staff in this hospital
- The doctor discussed with you the purpose and side effects of the treatment
- The doctor explained your medical condition and answered your questions
- The staff maintained a respectful attitude when dealing with you
- The doctor preserves the confidentiality of your medical status
- The staff monitors your medical condition adequately
- Your pain or other symptoms were managed successfully during your stay in the hospital
Patients' feedback on hospital services:
- The hospital bathrooms are clean
- Your room is clean and the bed sheets are changed daily
- The meals served are of good quality and quantity
- It was easy to gain access to the hospital
- There was no delay in your admission to the hospital
- Your privacy is maintained during your stay in the hospital
- Your room is free of noise
- You would choose this hospital again for any medical help in the future
Ethical consideration:
Written approval was obtained from the participants before collecting the data.
Statistical analysis:
Descriptive data: was represented as numbers and percentages (graphs and tables).
Analytical data: was introduced using Excel sheet statistical analysis which was displayed by the use of SPSS program version ……. . The purpose was to find out if there is any association between hospital performance and other variables (age, gender, educational level, and departments).
P value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant
Limitations:
Duration of the study, the research team was obligated to take a sample in a specific time.
The research team is formed of medical students who are committed to academic schooling, which made it difficult to smoothly complete the research requirements.
The team members dealt with patients of variable educational levels and thus they consumed more time and effort than usual in explaining the questionnaire and facilitating its filling.