Introduction Patient satisfaction is an important outcome of health care services and is regarded as one of the desired outcomes of care. Not much research has been done to measure satisfaction with maternity care services, especially in South Africa. Against this background this study aims to explore factors that influence women’s satisfaction with peri-partum care at Germiston hospital maternal unit. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was done among 260 women aged 18 years and above during the first three days of the postpartum period. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information. The factors studied were: pain relief, cleanliness, privacy, health education, and information and participation in decision making about their care. Data capture and analysis was done using STATA 10 statistical software. Frequency tables were used to describe data and Chi-square test was used to test for association between patient satisfaction and marital status, level of education and pain relief. Results: Sixty eight percent and 63% of patients respectively were not satisfied with pain relief during labour and after delivery. A majority of women ninety seven percent were satisfied by how privacy was maintained by both nonmedical and medical staff. Ninety percent of the respondents were satisfied with the cleanliness of the environment. Less than fifty percent of women were satisfied with the information that was given to them by the doctors in order to make informed choices about their care in contrast to 63 % of women who were satisfied with the information that they got from the nurses. A majority of women 73% were not satisfied with the number of times that the health care providers asked for their opinion in planning their care. There was no association between the level of satisfaction and marital status, level of education and pain relief. Conclusion: There were varying levels of satisfaction with services during labour. Cleanliness, privacy and information sharing by nurses were viewed by women as adequate. In contrast pain relief, time spent explaining procedures and information sharing by doctors was rated as unsatisfactory. These three factors should be taken into account when designing quality improvement programmes in the maternity department.

Despite the technological developments in medical care, patients still experience unacceptable levels of waiting time (Barlow 2002). Health care users perceive waiting time as a problem and this is articulated by media reports on how citizens complain about long waiting before receiving any medical attention especially for a prearranged appointment. They express dissatisfaction about long waiting time at various departments such as admissions, casualty, polyclinic, and pharmacy. Waiting time is perceived as a problem equal to lack of access to health care services in South Africa and internationally. These complaints prompt negative media reporting about health care services at public hospitals and clinics. Such damaging reports about health facilities may prevent nursing and other health professions from attracting neophytes. The result will be more staff shortage that impacts negatively on waiting time. On the other hand the working class citizens expect to receive health care services in public health facilities timely and go to work. Unfortunately patients and their relatives wait longer than they anticipated and the waiting causes anger, anxiety, fear, frustration, and sadness. These emotions are caused by lack of information about the doctors’ whereabouts and often cause conflicts between users and health workers. Some public hospitals and clinics do not have mechanisms on information giving regarding the doctors’ activities that may affect the waiting time. This information may assist patients to make informed decisions whether to wait or reschedule an appointment. In an attempt to reduce waiting time the Gauteng Department of Health introduced several measures. The problem statement for this research study is that health care users express dissatisfaction about waiting time at public health facilities and they lodge complaints which make approximately 20-30% of the Patients Complaints Hotline in the Gauteng Province. It was in view of this problem statement that the purpose of this research study was formulated to explore health care users’ experiences of waiting time at a diabetes clinic in an academic hospital and describe perceptions to which they give rise; in order to utilise the findings to facilitate formulation of policy guidelines for management of waiting time aimed at promotion of comfort in the outpatient departments..

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

M.Sc. (Nursing), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 / The purpose of this study is to undertake an interpretive, descriptive meta synthesis of available literature of primary qualitative research findings on patient satisfaction with nursing care of adult patients in hospitals across the world. The study addresses the question about the experiences and expectations of adult patients regarding nursing care. It is argued that patient satisfaction provides a meaningful focus for improving quality of care, planning and evaluation of health care services. The data collected in this study were from the identified articles from a range of databases including Science direct, PubMed, CINAHL and EBSCO host. The findings reveal that 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four of these were undertaken in the Sweden, two in the USA, two in the UK, and one each from China, Iceland, Ireland, Greece and Western Australia. The population study sampled was 341 adult patients in the included primary research reports. The total population comprises of 132 males and 166 females. In the literature 49 themes were derived which were synthesised to four new themes namely: Caring, quality of care, communication and information, professional technical skills and competence, organizational and environmental factors. Therefore, this study focuses on these five themes that contribute to patient satisfaction. In conclusion, this study points out that despite the dissatisfaction with nursing care, some satisfaction were experienced and that these should be used for those considering whether or not to use patient satisfaction views and opinions in the care.

No description available.

Thesis (MNursing (Advanced Practice))--University of South Australia, 1996

Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M. Nursing)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2006. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Karen Zulkowski. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 27-30).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brown University, 2005. / Vita. Thesis advisor: Vincent Mor. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-84). Also available online.