Patients’ satisfaction in terms of quality of care in public and private hospitals in Kabul Afghanistan

Abstract

Background: Quality of care, accessing to basic health care services and patient satisfaction were always a controversial issue in developing countries Afghanistan is one of those countries which is struggling with plenty of challenges in its health care system. Decades of war and disarray destroyed the basic health coverage in the country. Methods: This study aimed to identify patient satisfaction in term if quality of care in public and private hospitals of Kabul Afghanistan. A Cross sectional study was designed using English and Dari questionnaires. The study conducted in 4 private hospitals and 4 public hospitals among the patients who are using the health care services, as well as of the Doctors and health providers in these two-health care provider sectors. Result: 88.8 % of patient were very satisfy in term of quality of services provided by private hospitals. 13.6% of the study participants responded they were satisfied from the services provided by public hospitals. There were various variables such as skills and competency of doctors, nursing efficiency, waiting time and facilities, hospital staff’s behaviors and responsiveness, on time availability of doctors which effected patient satisfaction in term of quality of services provided by private and public hospitals in Kabul Afghanistan. Conclusion: There are immense discrepancy between performance of public and private hospitals in Kabul. Both public and private hospitals need reformations. The government needs to take serious and practical actions in improvement of public hospitals in the country. As well as, government has to bring reformations in regard of cost of health care services in private hospitals. Moreover, government has to put focus on quality and cost of drugs and pharmacies in the country.