Patient satisfaction with clinical laboratory services and associated factors among adult patients attending outpatient departments at Debre Markos referral hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Community-based health insurance beneficiaries' satisfaction on laboratory services and associated factors in selected public hospitals in Jimma Zone, Oromia Region, Southwest, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

The community-based health insurance (CBHI) scheme is a growing initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare access for the most impoverished members of the community. The Ethiopian CBHI scheme aims to enhance access to essential healthcare services, including medical laboratory services, for the poorest members of the community, but there is limited evidence on satisfaction levels. The aim of this study was to assess the satisfaction level of CBHI beneficiaries with laboratory services and their associated factors among selected public hospitals in Jimma Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

METHODS

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on selected public hospitals in the Jimma Zone from September to October 2023. A total of 421 CBHI beneficiaries were enrolled in the study using a convenient sampling technique, and interviewers administered structured questionnaires to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-data and analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 25. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize independent variables; bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to test the association between independent and dependent variables; and statistical significance was declared at P<0.05.

RESULTS

More than half (55.8%) of the 419 study participants were female. Above half, 57.5% of the respondents were satisfied by the clinical laboratory services at public hospitals in Jimma Zone. Components with a higher satisfaction rate were providers' professional appearances (98.3%), procedures for specimen collection (87.6%), and availability of entertainment facilities at the waiting area (67.8%). On the contrary, longer waiting times to receive the test results (76.6%), inefficiency of the reception area (74.7%), and the inability of professionals to explain diagnostic procedures (58.0%) were associated with higher rates of dissatisfaction. Educational status and the number of hospital visits were found to have a statistically significant association with level of satisfaction with laboratory services.

CONCLUSIONS

CBHI beneficiaries' satisfaction with laboratory service was at a moderate level in Jimma Zone public hospitals. Therefore, attention should be given to continuous monitoring of patients' satisfaction with services, improving reception areas, and practicing routine explanations about the purposes and procedures during specimen collection to improve the beneficiaries' satisfaction level with clinical laboratory services.

Factors Affecting Quality of Laboratory Result During Ordering, Handling, and Testing of the Patient's Specimen at Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Science Comprehensive Specialized Hospital

BACKGROUND

The increase of medical laboratory test errors represents the increase of all defects within the process. An error can be any defect during the entire process, from ordering to reporting. It may have negative effects on patient care, by contributing to inappropriate treatment, an increase in lengths of hospital stay, and dissatisfaction with healthcare services. Therefore, this study aimed to determine factors affecting the quality of laboratory results through the entire process.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hawassa University hospital from October 2018 to May 2019. Data were collected by using structured questionnaires and checklist and entered and analyzed using SPSS version 21. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

A total of 455 individuals participated in this study. During the actual observational assessment, 72.5% of laboratory professionals identify their patients correctly and 62.5% of them label the sample before collection. In multivariate logistic regression, labeling of sample before collection (AOR=1.357, 95% CI=1.09, 1.58, P- 0.017), use of unmixed (AOR=4.364, 95% CI=1.950, 20.036, P- 0.049) and hemolyzed blood for testing (AOR=1.403, 95% CI=1.096, 1.692 P- 0.021) were associated with laboratory test errors. The clinical service providers who requested the test believed, lack of efficient laboratory service (P=0.005), unable to use manuals (P=0.025), and incorrect interpretation of reference booklets were associated with laboratory errors. Patient residence and frequency of first and second visits of the hospital were statistically associated with laboratory errors.

CONCLUSION

The occurrence of laboratory errors in our study was demonstrated by the distribution pattern, the preanalytical, analytical, and post-analytical steps. But changes have occurred in the types and frequencies of errors in these phases of testing by laboratory professionals, clinicians, and patients in the current study. Therefore, the hospital administrations, laboratory professionals and clinicians should work harder and closer to solve the identified problems.