Factors Affecting Patient Satisfaction with Laboratory Services in Healthcare Setting
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of healthcare quality and reflects patients’ perceptions of service efficiency, communication, staff behavior, and care environment. Laboratory services are central to diagnosis and treatment, but patient satisfaction with laboratory care may be influenced by several operational and interpersonal factors. Objective: To assess factors associated with patient satisfaction with laboratory services in a healthcare setting. Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional survey included 100 adults with prior laboratory service experience. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire assessing waiting time, turnaround time, staff professionalism and behavior, communication and patient guidance, cleanliness of the laboratory environment, and overall patient satisfaction. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA were applied. Results: The Patient Satisfaction Scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.848). Patient satisfaction was positively correlated with waiting time score (r = 0.519), turnaround time (r = 0.683), staff professionalism and behavior (r = 0.847), and cleanliness (r = 0.649). The regression model explained 26.9% of satisfaction variance, with staff professionalism showing the strongest standardized contribution (β = 0.606), followed by cleanliness (β = 0.348). Gender and education were not significantly associated with satisfaction. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction with laboratory services was mainly associated with service-quality factors, particularly staff professionalism, turnaround time, and cleanliness
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
1. Aiken LH, Sermeus W, Van den Heede K, Sloane DM, Busse R, McKee M, et al. Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: cross-sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States. BMJ. 2012;344:e1717. doi:10.1136/bmj.e1717.
2. Batbaatar E, Dorjdagva J, Luvsannyam A, Savino MM, Amenta P. Determinants of patient satisfaction: a systematic review. Perspect Public Health. 2017;137(2):89-101. doi:10.1177/1757913916634136.
3. Andaleeb SS, Siddiqui N. Patient satisfaction with health services in South Asia: a review of literature and implications for policy. J Health Manag. 2014;16(1):121-127. doi:10.1177/0972063413516230.
4. Kruk ME, Gage AD, Arsenault C, Jordan K, Leslie HH, Roder-DeWan S, et al. High-quality health systems in the Sustainable Development Goals era: time for a revolution.
5. Andaleeb SS. Service quality perceptions and patient satisfaction: a study of hospitals in a developing country. Soc Sci Med. 2001;52(9):1359-1370. doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00235-5.
6. Epstein RM, Street RL Jr. The values and value of patient-centered care. Ann Fam Med. 2011;9(2):100-103. doi:10.1370/afm.1239.
7. Al-Abri R, Al-Balushi A. Patient satisfaction survey as a tool towards quality improvement. Oman Med J. 2014;29(1):3-7. doi:10.5001/omj.2014.02.
8. Campbell SM, Roland MO, Buetow SA. Defining quality of care. Soc Sci Med. 2000;51(11):1611-1625.
9. Alhajri SM, Aljehani NM, El Dalatony MM, Alsuwayt SS, Alhumaidany TM, Aldossary MS. Patients’ satisfaction with the quality of services at primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2023. doi:10.7759/cureus.45066.
10. Bleustein C, Rothschild DB, Valen A, Valatis E, Schweitzer L, Jones R. Wait times, patient satisfaction scores, and the perception of care. Am J Manag Care. 2014;20(5):393-400.
11. Dagger TS, Sweeney JC, Johnson LW. A hierarchical model of health service quality. J Serv Res. 2007;10(2):123-142.
12. Chang YT, Lin PL, Lin WY. Influence of waiting time on patient satisfaction in outpatient clinics. Healthcare. 2022;10(4):701.
13. Donabedian A. The quality of care: how can it be assessed? JAMA. 1988;260(12):1743-1748.
14. Lee J, Kim S, Park H. Impact of laboratory turnaround time on emergency department length of stay. J Clin Lab Anal. 2021;35(6):e23789.
15. Ulrich RS, Zimring C, Zhu X, DuBose J, Seo HB, Choi YS, et al. A review of the research literature on evidence-based healthcare design. HERD. 2008;1(3):61-125.
16. Hawkins RC. Laboratory turnaround time. Clin Biochem Rev. 2007;28(4):179-194.
17. Lippi G, Becan-McBride K, Behúlová D, Bowen RA, Church S. Preanalytical quality improvement: from dream to reality. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2015;53(8):1113-1126.
18. Plebani M. Errors in clinical laboratories or errors in laboratory medicine? Clin Chem Lab Med. 2020;58(3):393-400.
19. Glickman SW, Boulding W, Manary M, Staelin R, Roe MT, Wolosin R, et al. Patient satisfaction and its relationship with clinical quality and inpatient mortality in acute myocardial infarction. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2010;3(2):188-195.
20. Zaidi S, Usmani B, Ali S. Health systems in Pakistan: a review of literature. J Pak Med Assoc. 2013;63(1):112-118.
21. Otani K, Kurz RS, Harris LE. Managing primary care using patient satisfaction measures. J Healthc Manag. 2005;50(5):311-324.
22. Doyle C, Lennox L, Bell D. A systematic review of evidence on the links between patient experience and clinical safety and effectiveness. BMJ Open. 2013;3(1):e001570.
23. Parasuraman A, Zeithaml VA, Berry LL. SERVQUAL: a multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. J Retailing. 1988;64(1):12-40.
24. Lippi G, Plebani M. The critical role of laboratory medicine during COVID-19 and other viral outbreaks. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2010;48(9):1227-1231. doi:10.1515/CCLM.2010.240.