[Quality-of-care assessment in a university hospital pediatric clinic]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Public Health Systems
• Patient Satisfaction Studies

Background:

• UNICAMP University Hospital's Pediatric Clinic serves as a key secondary and tertiary care facility within Brazil's National Health System.
• The clinic caters to pediatric patients aged 0 to 18 years, offering a range of medical services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess medical care indicators within the Pediatric Clinic.
• To compare patient experiences between general pediatric out-patient services and specialized services.
• To identify areas for service improvement.

Main Methods:

• Administration of 221 questionnaires to users of general and specialized pediatric out-patient services.
• Analysis of patient knowledge, satisfaction, physician-patient relationship, reported problems, and suggestions for improvement.
• Comparison of care indicators between different user groups.

Main Results:

• Patients demonstrated high health knowledge and satisfaction with care.
• A significant portion (43.4%) reported service-related problems, with low suggestion rates (17.6%).
• Long waiting times were a notable issue. Significant differences in indicators were observed between users of general and specialized services.

Conclusions:

• While patients are generally satisfied and knowledgeable, improvements are needed in communication and reducing wait times.
• The distinct experiences of specialized care users warrant further investigation.
• Addressing reported problems and encouraging patient feedback are crucial for enhancing pediatric healthcare services.