Patients' satisfaction in positron emission tomography/computed tomography departments in Gauteng province, South Africa.

BACKGROUND

Patient satisfaction is a subjective metric, yet an important one used for evaluating healthcare performance and identifying areas for improvement. Since the introduction of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in South Africa in 2005, limited information is available on patient satisfaction in PET/CT departments. Understanding patients' experiences in this setting is essential to ensure the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care.

AIM: This study assessed patients' satisfaction with care when undergoing PET/CT examinations.

SETTING

The study was conducted at three selected academic public hospitals in the Gauteng province of South Africa.

METHODS

This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive research design to collect data from 226 randomly selected respondents between March 2022 and September 2022. A structured, closed-ended, adapted questionnaire utilising a 5-point Likert scale was used to collect data through telephone surveys.

RESULTS

This study had a predominance of female respondents (62.4%) over male respondents (37.6%). Overall, the study reported high satisfaction levels regarding staff's professionalism (92.5%), the privacy provided in the examination rooms (94.2%), the cleanliness of the examination rooms (88.9%), reception areas (90.3%), and toilets (93.8%), while only 0.4% expressed no satisfaction at all because their appointments were not kept at the scheduled times.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that the majority of patients were satisfied with the level of service and care they received during PET/CT examinations. However, there is a need to improve patient appointment adherence for achieving better clinical outcomes.

CONTRIBUTION: Positron emission tomography/computed tomography staff should advise patients with appointment choices and provide service at the scheduled times.