A Study of Patient's Satisfaction with the Emergency Department (ED) of Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM)

Patients’ Satisfaction with the Emergency Department
Vol. 3 No. 1 : 2008 (7-13)

Ismail Saiboon Ismail Saiboon
Ho Siew Eng Ho Siew Eng
Bala Krishnan Bala Krishnan
Siti Nooraini Ali Siti Nooraini Ali
Noorafindi Murad Noorafindi Murad
Audrey Pathnathan Audrey Pathnathan
Choy Yin Choy Choy Yin Choy

Abstract
Patients’ satisfaction is of critical interest to all healthcare providers. Satisfied patients are more likely to seek health care and to comply with prescribed treatment regimes. The objective of the study was to identify factors that influence patient satisfaction with Emergency Department HUKM (ED HUKM). This study was conducted at ED HUKM from January 2007 till March 2007. A convenience sample of 100 participants was recruited from triage 4. The Davis Consumer Emergency Care Satisfaction Scale (CECSS) was adopted and modified. It consists of 19 questions; used a 5 point, Likert type scale of 1 to 5 (1= completely disagree and 5= completely agree) to measure patient satisfaction with triage, health care providers caring behaviours and health teaching. Results showed that 75 participants (75%) were satisfied. There were no significant difference found between male and female patients with total CESCC scores (t=0.308, p values >0.05). Pearson product moment correlation coefficients showed a positive relationship between total and subscale patient satisfaction scores, caring scores (r=0.905, p value <0.05) and teaching scores (r=0.695, p < 0.05). Overall, patients were satisfied with services at the ED HUKM. Patients’ satisfaction remains as an important quality outcome measure of emergency care in any hospital.
Keywords : emergency department, patient satisfaction, triage,
Abstrak
Kepuasan pesakit merupakan satu elemen kritikal yang menjadi minat kepada semua perawat perubatan. Ini adalah kerana pesakit yang berpuas hati akan mudah mendapatkan dan mengikuti segala arahan perubatan yang diberi. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk mengenalpasti faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi  kepuasan pesakit terhadap perkhidmatan  di Jabatan Perubatan Kecemasan HUKM (JPE HUKM). Kajian di JPE HUKM ini dilakukan dari Januari 2007 hingga Mac 2007. Satu kaedah pesampelan mudah (convenience sampling) telah dilakukan dimana 100 orang pesakit dari kumpulan ‘triage’ 4 telah diambil. Kepuasan pesakit telah diukur menggunakan Skala Kepuasan Penjagaan Kecemasan Pelanggan Davis (Davis Consumer Emergency Care Satisfaction Scale) dengan sedikit pengubahsuaian. Ianya terdiri daripada 19 soalan yang mana setiap satu soalan diberi markah 1 hingga 5 mengikut skala Likert (1=sangat tak setuju dan 5=sangat setuju) keatas kepuasan pesakit terhadap jagarawatan di triage, kelakuan perawat perubatan di triage  dan pendidikan kesihatan. Keputusan menunjukan 75 (75%) pesakit berpuas hati. Didapati terdapat tiada perbezaan  yang signifikan antara pesakit lelaki dan perempuan dengan  CESCC skor (t=0.308, p>0.05). Hubungan korelasi yang positif  didapati antara jumlah tahap kepuasan pesakit dan ‘caring’ skor dan pendidikan kesihatan (r=0.905, p<0.05) and teaching scores (r=0.695, p<0.05). Secara keseluruhan kebanyakan pesakit berpuashati dengan perkhidmatan yang diterima di JPE HUKM. Kepuasan pesakit akan tetap menjadi satu ukuran penting dalam menentukan kualti perkhidmatan kecemasan di mana mana hospital.
Kata Kunci : Jabatan Perubatan Kecemasan, kepuasan pesakit, ‘triage’,

Correspondance Address
Dr Ismail Saiboon, Department of Emergency Medicine, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Email: ismail@mail.hukm.ukm.my