Patient-Reported Satisfaction With Inpatient Palliative Care at a Tertiary Hospital in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional...

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of healthcare quality, particularly in palliative care where patient-centered communication and supportive services are essential. Evidence on patient satisfaction with inpatient palliative care services in Bangladesh remains limited. This study aimed to assess patient-reported satisfaction with inpatient palliative care at a tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the inpatient facility of the Department of Palliative Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka, from November 2023 to June 2024. Data were collected at hospital discharge through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire containing the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 instrument. Spearman's rank correlation assessed relationships between satisfaction subdomains, while Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests explored the associations between satisfaction scores and socio-demographic factors.

Total of 91 patients participated in the study, of whom 42.9% were male and 57.1% were female. Overall patient satisfaction with inpatient palliative care services was rated as very good. Doctors and nurses received high ratings for their availability, technical competence, and interpersonal skills, whereas comparatively lower ratings were observed for the provision of information. Within the domain of service organization and delivery, very good levels of satisfaction were reported for waiting time, exchange of information among healthcare staff, and the helpfulness of other hospital personnel. In contrast, relatively lower satisfaction scores were noted for accessibility and environmental comfort. Sociodemographic factors including age, marital status, and educational level showed significant associations with patient satisfaction levels.

Patients reported a high level of satisfaction with inpatient palliative care services at tertiary hospital in Bangladesh. However, areas such as information provision, communication, accessibility and environmental comfort require further improvement.