Perception of quality in a Radiation Oncology Department: Is it different for patients and health care providers.
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Date
2016-01
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Abstract
AIM: Patient satisfaction is increasingly being identified as an important benchmark in health care industry. Studies addressing patients’
perceptions of quality are available but there is paucity of data regarding the perception of health care providers towards their own services.
This study was undertaken to compare the satisfaction level between the patients and the staff from a Radiation Oncology Department.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A common 16‑item questionnaire addressing various aspects of patient care was served to 40 patients and 40 staff
members. The responses were statistically evaluated to assess the satisfaction level among the two groups and the scores were compared to
assess the agreement between two groups. RESULTS: Overall, satisfaction level of both groups regarding quality of services ranged from “good”
to “excellent”. A high level of agreement was observed between the two groups. The physician’s ability to give an explanation to patients, helping
attitude of the staff and the staff’s concern for patient safety were the most satisfying features of the department while inconvenience during
scheduling of appointments, billing and registration process, status of the changing rooms and inter‑department coordination were the least
satisfying features. CONCLUSION: A high level of satisfaction may be achieved from the consumers if service providers are trained to assess the
needs and expectations of consumers and to critically evaluate themselves. The service provider’s perception regarding their own services may
serve as a preliminary indicator of overall quality. Future studies with more participants in different setting may further explore this hypothesis.
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Keywords
Health care, patient, perception, quality‑of‑care, satisfaction, service‑providers
Citation
Kataria T, Sharma K, Pareek P, Goyal S, Gupta D, Abhishek A. Perception of quality in a Radiation Oncology Department: Is it different for patients and health care providers. Indian Journal of Cancer. 2016 Jan-Mar; 53(1): 152-157.