ABSTRACT

Objective: Patient satisfaction and quality of life are increasingly being recognized as central elements in the monitoring and evaluation of healthcare. In this survey, the level of patient satisfaction and quality of life were investigated in regular attendees at public health chronic disease facilities in South Trinidad.

Method: A random sample of 200 clients attending the three public chronic disease clinics during the period August 12, 2002 to December 31, 2002, completed self-administered questionnaires consisting of socio-demographic, quality of life (SF 12) and health service items.

Results: Participants had an average of four annual visits and 75% of them were 50 years and older. Approximately two-thirds of participants gave health and support staff a rating of good to excellent. Overall clinic experience was rated as poor to fair by 41.5%. Forty-five and a half per cent gave a rating of the explanations given by doctors and nurses about their illnesses. Fifty-three and a half per cent and 58% gave a poor to fair rating for the length of the waiting time and explanation offered when there was a significant delay in the starting times of clinics respectively.
In regression analyses controlling for age, gender and number of illnesses, ratings of clinic experience and all categories of clinic staff were significantly associated with SF-12 mental and physical component summary scores.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that in this population of regular clinic attendees, levels of client satisfaction and numbers of illnesses are associated with subjective quality of life.