AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS ON THE SATISFACTION OF OUTPATIENT

Abstract

Patient satisfaction, which was determined by evaluating and measuring the quality of healthcare services offered by nonprofit public health institutions for all citizens, is essential for policy makers creating public policy for the welfare of its
citizens. In this study, outpatient satisfaction in the Atatürk Training and Research Hospital in Ankara was evaluated. For this
purpose, the influence of socio-economic factors (e.g., gender, income, and education) on patient satisfaction for doctor,
nurse, secretaries, appointment system and sanitary practices of the hospital were analyzed. As a result of a survey on
outpatients (n=525) who came to different polyclinics (e.g., eye, urology, internal diseases, cardiology), the relation between
socio-economic factors and patient satisfaction was analyzed with a descriptive statistical method. Study results shows that
outpatients are satisfied with services in order from best to worst: secretaries, doctors, nurses, appointment system and
sanitary practices of the hospital. Results of this study are expected to contribute to the literature and become an important
source for public policy in the area of health.