Pam Tok Chollom, Lilian Lyop Pwol

Keywords: Hospital, patient satisfaction, waiting time, pharmacy, drug

Abstract

Healthcare services in Nigeria are often connected to the length of time patients spend accessing hospital-based services. Waiting time is a significant predictor of health-service access, utilization, and patient retention. This study investigates hospital waiting time and patient satisfaction in public hospitals in north-central Nigeria. The study examines the effect of registration, consultation, treatment time and drug dispensing on patients’ satisfaction in Jos University Teaching Hospital, National Hospital Abuja, Federal Medical Centre Keffi and Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi. Data for this study emerged from structured questionnaires administered to 314 respondents. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was engaged in explaining nuaces that this study interrogated. The study results showed that registration, consultation, and treatment time significantly influence and bring about increased patient satisfaction. However, drug dispensing time is the only factor that reduced patient satisfaction, as patients wait longer time before receiving prescribed drugs. The study concludes that waiting time has a significant effect on patient satisfaction even though the rate of services is slow. Hence, the study recommends that there is need for public hospitals in north-central Nigeria to improve their pharmacy or drug dispensing departments by increasing the number of pharmacists to enhance faster drug dispensing in order to avoid further frustration on the patients thereby increasing their speed of recovery.

Author Biography

Pam Tok Chollom

Department of Business Administration, Nasarawa State University Keffi, PMB 1022 Keffi-Nigeria.

Email: pamto99@yahoo.com

Lilian Lyop Pwol

Institute of Development Studies, University of Nairobi, P. O Box 30197, Kenya.

Email: pwollilian777@gmail.com

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