Patient Perceptions and Expectations From Primary Health-care Providers in India

The study of patient satisfaction at the primary care level has been mostly neglected in India.

This objective of this study was to assess indices of Patient Satisfaction at the level of the family physician which is usually the first point of contact between the patient and the health-care system.

This study was carried out at a Private Primary Health-Care Center in a semirural area in New Delhi, by exit interviews in the form of a questionnaire from patients randomly selected from people visiting the center during the study period.

Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out on the data collected.

The findings revealed that 83.58% of the patients were satisfied with the general experience and the behavior of the health-care provider and 85.9% were satisfied with the treatment and care provided, only 65.5% were satisfied with the physical environment of the clinic. However, the percentage of patients who would recommend the facility to their friends was overwhelming (94.6%).

These results show that private health-care providers are still the first choice for any form of medical care. However, there was definitely a gap between the increasing expectations of the patients for more information, better Patient-Provider interaction, more control over the treatment process and better amenities even at the Primary Care level. It is this gap, which needs to be fulfilled to facilitate better utilization of Primary Health-Care Services in the community and reduce pressure on tertiary care services in order to ensure Universal Health Coverage. This study would also help us understand the challenges for Primary Care service providers, private and public, in a low socioeconomic urban setting.