Patient Satisfaction With Outpatient Department Health Service and Associated Factors at Public Hospitals in Ethiopia

Globally, patient satisfaction with outpatient department (OPD) health services is a crucial part of evaluating the quality of healthcare. This study was aimed at estimating the pooled proportion of patient satisfaction and determining the associated factors with OPD health services at public hospitals in Ethiopia. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed in the article selection and searching. We searched the following sources of data for identification of primary studies: PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and repositories. STATA version 17 software was used to analyze statistical data using the random effects model. Forest plots were used to display the pooled results. The estimated pooled proportion of patient satisfaction with outpatient department health services was found to be 61.95% (95% CI: 53.00-70.90, I² 98.61%). Being informed on the prevention of recurrence of illness during consultation, the availability of all the prescribed drugs in the hospital pharmacy, and privacy respected by healthcare providers during consultation were statistically significant factors associated with OPD health services. Nearly 60% of patients were satisfied with the health services provided at the outpatient department (OPD) of public hospitals. Different factors, such as being informed on the prevention of recurrence of illness during consultation, availability of ordered drugs in the health facility, and healthcare providers respecting the privacy of patients, were affecting patient satisfaction. Healthcare managers and providers should work on these factors to ensure high patient satisfaction with OPD health services.