Antenatal Clinic Waiting Time, Patient Satisfaction, and Preference for Staggered Appointment-A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Long waiting times at antenatal clinics (ANC) are a significant barrier to healthcare utilization for pregnant women.
• Patient dissatisfaction, often linked to prolonged waits, can negatively impact ANC service uptake.
• Understanding factors influencing ANC utilization is crucial for improving maternal healthcare outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the duration of waiting times at various service points within ANC.
• To evaluate patient satisfaction levels with ANC services.
• To determine pregnant women's preference for staggered ANC appointment systems.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 122 participants was conducted.
• Data collected included sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, and time spent at ANC service points.
• Statistical analysis utilized descriptive statistics and chi-square tests (P < .05) via IBM SPSS v23.

Main Results:

• The mean total time spent in ANC was 191 minutes, with a mean waiting time of 143 minutes.
• Waiting times were longest at doctor's consultation (59 min), laboratory services (38 min), and cash pay-points (18 min).
• Overall satisfaction was 68.9%, highest for doctor's consultation, and associated with waiting times under 45 minutes. Dissatisfaction was notable at cash pay-points (28.7%) and laboratories (16.4%).

Conclusions:

• Reducing overall time spent in ANC is essential to improve service accessibility.
• Staggered appointment systems show promise as a strategy to mitigate long waiting times and reduce patient load.
• Addressing specific bottlenecks, such as laboratory and payment points, is necessary to enhance patient satisfaction and ANC utilization.