article · Patient Preference and Adherence
An investigation into patient satisfaction across nine public hospitals in Ethiopia examined the relationship between pre-consultation expectations and post-consultation experiences. Structured interviews with 776 adult outpatients revealed that obtaining a diagnosis was the primary reason for visits for almost 94 per cent of individuals. The data showed a significant difference between initial expectations and the actual experiences reported after consultations. Positive drivers of patient satisfaction included post-consultation expectations, positive perceived health status, and a sense of control over personal health. Conversely, existing worries, previous healthcare interactions, and the degree of influence during the visit reduced satisfaction levels. These results demonstrate that patient contentment is heavily shaped by post-consultation outcomes, indicating that healthcare providers must place greater focus on improving the quality of the immediate consultation experience.
Understanding the factors that influence patient satisfaction helps public healthcare providers design better clinical interactions. By identifying how diagnosis delivery, patient control, and previous medical experiences shape perceptions, hospital managers can target specific areas of outpatient care to reduce patient anxiety, improve communication, and strengthen overall confidence in public hospital services.
This applied research can guide hospital administrators and healthcare quality consultancies seeking to improve service design and patient-feedback mechanisms. The findings are ready to be integrated into clinical communication training, healthcare quality-assurance frameworks, and patient-reported outcome measures within public health systems, though specific commercial software or digital assessment tools would require dedicated development.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Background: Patient expectations have been recognized as a factor for patient satisfaction in medical consultations. Although various studies explored the relationship between patient expectations and patient satisfaction in developed countries, there is a lack of research evidence in Ethiopia where the meeting of patient expectations could relate to satisfaction. Objective: To assess the relationship between patients’ expectations and their satisfaction in the consultation of patients at the outpatient department. Study design: Data were collected regarding preconsultation expectations and postconsultation experiences of adult patients attending nine public hospitals. A systematic random sampling method was used where every fifth patient attending an outpatient department was selected. The patients were interviewed before consultation and after consultation to assess whether their pre-consultation expectations were met and to assess how satisfied they were with the consultation. Cronbach’s alpha statistic was used to assess the reliability of the expectation questionnaires, and paired t-test was used to assess any differences between previsit expectations and postvisit experiences. Logistic regression techniques were used to assess variables considered as independent factors for patient satisfaction. Results: A total of 776 patients were interviewed, giving a response rate of 92.3%. About 93.7% mentioned a diagnosis for their condition as a reason for their current hospital visits. There is a significant difference between preconsultation expectation and postconsultation expectation. Postconsultation expectation, perceived health status, and perceived control on health were factors identified as increasing patient satisfaction. In addition, the presence of any disappointments or worries, previous experience in health care, and extent of influence on the consultation had a negative influence on satisfaction. Conclusion: Postconsultation expectation impacts patient satisfaction. Health care service providers should emphasize the actual experience of consultation. Keywords: patient expectation, patient satisfaction, hospital health care, Ethiopia
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s109982
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
