Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Community Medicine

Introduction: Measuring the quality of service is a necessary requirement for enhancing quality of health care because it is an essential part of an effective and efficient health care system. Continuous assessment of patient satisfaction is a mandatory tool that must be taken in to account when making decisions for changing and upgrading services, as it is considered a key component to improve the long-term economic stability of health care institutions. Aim and objectives: To improve the quality of services provided at Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI) hospital' out-patient clinics by assessing the quality of services at out-patient clinics and assessing patient satisfaction towards the provided services. Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on systematic random sampling of 375 patients attending outpatient clinics of Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI). Tools used for data collection were an observational checklist for the outpatient department, patient satisfaction questionnaire and retrieval of hospital medical records Results: The functional plan of the OPD, equipment and instruments, access to facility, care of patients, hospital waste management, rights and responsibilities of patients and statistics gained the highest scores, while patient and provider satisfaction surveys and health information system represented the lowest scores. The patient satisfaction level was significantly higher among females, old age groups >50 years, divorced or widowed patients, illiterate patients, manual workers and patients with low socio-economic level. The following quality dimensions (service procedure, doctors, nurses and general satisfaction about services and treatment) significantly influenced patient satisfaction with different outpatient clinics. The linear trend of number of patients attending the selected outpatient clinics showed a marked increase during the previous ten years from year 2009 to 2019

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