Abstract:
Background: Patient satisfaction is an important indicator to measure the quality of health
care and affects clinical outcomes. Therefore, its appraisal may allow improved therapeutic
care with wonderful outcomes; hence a high level of satisfaction.
In 2018, three different reports from WHO have emphasised the facts that improvement of
quality of care is still indispensable. These reports show that measuring healthcare outcomes
lead to the positive achievement of some aims of healthcare such as improved patient
experience of care, reduced clinician and staff burnout. Anaesthesia care impacts all
processes of surgery; thus, patient satisfaction contributes to a balanced evaluation of the
structure, process and outcome of service. Patient satisfaction has been widely studied
around the world. However, in Tanzania, there is no evidence about patient satisfaction with
anaesthesia care.
Broad objective: To evaluate the level of patient satisfaction with perioperative anaesthetics
care within 24 hours post-surgery and to determine the associated factors.
Method: This is a descriptive qualitative study that was conducted at the Muhimbili
Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania; from January 2021 to March 2021 Patients planned for elective procedures which required anaesthesia care were sampled
conveniently. Those who fulfilled inclusion criteria (such as the age of 18 years and above,
full conscious patient post-operatively, ASA state I-III) and Consented to take part in the
study were enrolled.
The Leiden Perioperative care Patient Satisfaction questionnaire (LPPSq) was used to collect
data within 24 hours post-surgery through a face-to-face interview.
Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20 by a descriptive statistical analysis for
categorical variables and Chi-square test for associations.
Result: The majority of the enrolled patients (61.2%) were young with the age ranging
between 18 to 40 years. Among those recruited in the study, 82.4 % of the patients were
operated on planned date and 59.6% received loco-regional anaesthesia. The proportion of
the overall satisfaction was high (98%), Information provided (94.4%) and staff-patient
relationships (98.8%) are major determinant factors of patient satisfaction with a strong
association; (p=0.001). Socio-demographic status did not affect significantly the overall satisfaction; nonetheless, the marital status was associated with some degree of fear and
concern (p=0.022). In regards to the care received on discomfort and needs (postoperative
pain, vomiting, cold, hunger, thirst etc.) 83.6% of patients were highly satisfied.
Conclusion: The study shows that patients are highly satisfied with the perioperative
anaesthetic care received at MOI. The positive approach used by the anaesthesia team made
them feel well and more assertive to the received care.
