Patients' satisfaction with dental services provided by a university in Hong Kong

This study was a consumer evaluation of the dental care services provided by a university dental clinic in Hong Kong which provides dental care to all university students and staff and their dependents. The objectives of this study were to study the consumers' satisfaction with the dental services; to identify their reasons for not using the dental services; and to compare the opinions of the students with those of the university staff and their spouses. A total of 140 students and 180 staff and their spouses were randomly selected for this study. The response rates were 100 per cent for students and 77 per cent for staff and their spouses. Results showed that both groups of respondents were satisfied with the quality of dental services provided by the university dental clinic. However, they were not satisfied with the long waiting time for an appointment. Students who had not attended the university dental clinic commonly stated that they were busy and had no time for a dental visit. Conversely, many staff and their spouses did not seek care from the university dental clinic because they thought that the fees were high. Although the overall Dental Satisfaction Index (DSI) scores for the students (64.5) and staff and their spouses (65.1) were similar, there were differences in the aspects of the services with which the two group were satisfied or dissatisfied. Thus if the university dental clinic wants to implement changes so as to improve consumer satisfaction and utilisation, a careful analysis of the specific opinions of its various consumer groups is required.