Abstract
Background: Patients waiting experiences at the dental centre and their satisfaction with services rendered by the health care team have not been fully explored and may be important factors that have influenced the pattern of utilization of dental services in this part of the world. The aim of this study was to determine what patients’ waiting experiences are, at two dental centres and find out how satisfied patients were with the services provided.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at two dental centres in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria over a period of twelve months. Data was collected using a 29-item structured questionnaire. Information sought were patients’ biodata, reasons for presenting at the dental centre, time on entry into the centre, their experiences from point of entry into the dental centre to consultation with the dentist and how satisfied they were with the services rendered. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.
Results: Two hundred and sixty-six respondents participated in the study with a mean age of 36.3 ± 17years. The mean waiting time at the Primary Oral Health Care Center (POHCC) and tertiary health centre (UCH) were 11.5 ± 17.0 and 102.3 ± 47.3 minutes respectively. Many (85.3%) were satisfied with the services offered by the dentist, 78.0% were comfortable while waiting to see the doctor. Patients attending the POHCC were more satisfied with the stage of dropping appointment cards but less satisfied with the stage of being called in to see the doctor (22.9%) and when with the doctor (20.6%) compared with patients attending UCH (13.3%)(p<0.005).
Conclusion: Many patients were comfortable while waiting to be seen by the dentist and the majority were satisfied with the stages of service delivery. However, causes of dissatisfaction and discomforts experienced by some of the patients will have to be addressed.
Keywords: dental clinics, dental experiences, oral care, patient satisfaction, waiting time
Résumé
Contexte: Les patients en attente d’expérience au centre dentaire et leur satisfaction à l’égard des services rendus par l’équipe de soins de santé n’ont pas été entièrement explorés et pourraient être des facteurs importants ayant influé sur l’utilisation des services dentaires dans cette partie du monde. Le but de cette étude était de déterminer les expériences d’attente des patients dans deux centres dentaires et de déterminer dans quelle mesure les patients étaient satisfaits des services fournis.
Méthodes: Une étude transversale a été menée dans deux centres dentaires à Ibadan, dans l’État d’Oyo, au Nigeria, sur une période de douze mois. Les données ont été recueillies à l’aide d’un questionnaire structuré à 29-items. Les renseignements recherchés étaient les données biographiques des patients, les raisons de présenter au centre dentaire, l’heure d’entrée au Centre, leur expérience du point d’entrée dans le centre dentaire jusqu’à la consultation du dentiste et leur degré de satisfaction à l’égard des services rendus. Les données ont été analysées en utilisant SPSS version 22.
Résultats: Deux cent soixante-six répondants ont participé à l’étude avec un âge moyen de 36,3 ± 17 ans. Le temps d’attente moyen au Centre de Santé Buccodentaire Primaire (CSBP) et au Centre de santé tertiaire (CHU) était respectivement de 11,5 ± 17,0 et de 102,3 ± 47,3 minutes. Beaucoup (85,3%) étaient satisfaits des services offerts par le dentiste, 78,0% étaient à l’aise en attendant de voir le médecin. Les patients du CSBP étaient plus satisfaits de l’étape de la quittance des fiches de rendez-vous mais moins satisfaits de l’étape d’appel du médecin (22,9%) et quand avec le médecin (20,6%) par rapport aux patients de l’UCH (13,3%) (p <0,005).
Conclusion: De nombreux patients se sentaient à l’aise en attendant d’être vus par le dentiste et la majorité était satisfaite avec les étapes de la prestation de services, mais les causes d’insatisfaction et d’inconfort vécues par certains patients devront être corrigées.
Mots-clés: Cliniques dentaires, expériences dentaires, soins buccodentaires, satisfaction des patients, temps d’attente
Correspondence: Dr. IMF Abiodun-Solanke, Department of Restorative Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail:
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