Satisfaction with cancer care among patients treated in a tertiary care hospital in Southern Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background/Objective: As life threatening condition patients with cancer experience many adverse consequences related to long term hospitalization. Patient’s views and expectations about hospital environment have been linked to health of patients with cancer. This study aimed to investigate cancer patients’ satisfaction about the hospital environment in a tertiary facility hospital in Southern Sri Lanka. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of 400 heterogeneous cancer patients at the Oncology ward, Teaching Hospital, Galle. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, bed head tickets, and the validated Sinhala version of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-In Patient Satisfaction (EORTC IN-PATSAT) questionnaire. In EORTC IN-PATSAT; higher scores indicate higher satisfaction levels. Ethics Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna approved the study protocol. Results: The mean age was 56 years (SD =11.92). Mean score (±SD) of overall hospital in-patient satisfaction was 60.22 (±6.13). Satisfaction with Doctors’ care was in higher level (71.10±10.72), but satisfaction with Nurses’ care (62.50±12.17), other services (55.84 ± 6.75) and general caring (51.45± 8.15) were in moderate level. Self-reported physical impairments (p<0.001), male gender (p<0.001) and longer the time since diagnosis (p=0.06) were seems to be factors that enhance dissatisfaction of the hospital environment. Conclusions: Cancer patients have received the highest satisfaction from doctors’ care. Strategies need to be developed to improve patients’ satisfaction in other areas of hospital environment. Hospital services need to be addressed effectively and competently to improve quality care of hospital in-patient environment and that would facilitate early recovery of the patients.