Patient Satisfaction study at public health facilities in Uganda (2014/2015)

The Harvard Ministerial Leadership in Health (MLIH) Programme worked on a health sector strengthening initiative with the governments of Cape Verde, The Gambia, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda. To help inform this process and provide a measure of impact over time, MS Helene Perold & Associates (HPA) of Johannesburg, South Africa, was contracted to provide research and evaluation services for MLIH, for which a baseline measure of patient satisfaction in Uganda was undertaken.

Implemented between 2014/2015, the baseline study intended to:-

1. provide a measure of patient satisfaction with the health services delivered at selected clinics focusing on primary health care/out-patient facilities;
2. gain understanding of the context in which health clinics deliver services, as well as the strengths and weakness that characterize health service provision;
3. create a baseline measure for estimating progress at the designated clinics after the intervention

The study employed a qualitative design targeting 2 to 3 staff and 30 random quantitative exit interviews at 5 selected public health clinics selected by HPA and Ministry of Health. The selected sites were Kawolo Hospital, Buwenge Health Center IV, Rukunyu Health Center IV, Nakasongola Health Center IV, and Anyeke Health Center IV. Two of the health facilities serve rural communities, two serve peri-urban communities, and one serves both rural and peri-urban communities

Results of the survey served as a baseline against which MLIH's interventions to improve patient satisfaction in public health outlets in Uganda will be judged.