Identification and evaluation of patient satisfaction determinants in medical service delivery systems within the South African private healthcare industry

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify, evaluate and compare the determinants of patient satisfaction in fee-for-service, and health maintenance organisation (HMO), medical service delivery centres. Staff at both centres, who were also patients, were surveyed to determine the congruence with patients’ quality improvement priorities. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire consisting of closed questions given to patients as they departed from the medical centres. The questionnaire was tested for convergent and divergent validity, content analysis and reliability. A rating scale was then applied to yield the scores for each determinant. The unique Patient Satisfaction Priority Index was determined using determinants that were rated low on satisfaction but high on importance. The results revealed that patients at the fee- for- service medical centre were significantly more satisfied than patients at the HMO. The priority index for patients were found to be different to that of the staff at both medical centres, proving that staff and patient priorities were incongruent. Accordingly, the recommendations were that patient satisfaction be continuously evaluated at medical service delivery centres, in order to achieve a competitive advantage, sustainability and growth in South Africa’s highly competitive private healthcare industry. Copyright