Patient satisfaction and perceptions regarding obstetrics ultrasound scan services in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka

Introduction

Obstetric USS has become integral to global antenatal care. Ensuring better obstetric care and achieving a high level of patient satisfaction are key priorities. Patient satisfaction serves as a crucial index for evaluating and enhancing healthcare services. We aimed to assess pregnant women's views on their care and satisfaction during obstetrics USS and to explore the correlation between demographic factors and level of satisfaction.

Methodology

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at De Soysa Hospital for Women (DMH), Colombo, Sri Lanka. All pregnant women referred to the Radiology Department for antenatal USS in February 2021 were enrolled. Pre-validated self-administered questionnaires encompassing patient demographics and ordinal satisfaction scales for obstetric USS, were distributed to pregnant women prior to their USS appointments, with completed questionnaires collected post-USS. Kendall’s tau-b correlation was used to compare the relationship between patient’s demographic factors and their level of satisfaction.

Results

The analytical sample included 278 females, with 60.5% having secondary education or a university degree. Ages ranged from 14 to 44, with an average of 30.3 years. Overall satisfaction reached 84.6 % and satisfaction ratings above 80% were noted for all the indices of perception of care. 95.7% would recommend it to third parties, and 98.6 % considered their expectations were fulfilled. Level of education and age showed positive correlation with the satisfaction with p<0.05. Ethnicity was independent of satisfaction.

Conclusion

Satisfaction with obstetric ultrasound scan services among pregnant women was high at 84.6%. Positive correlations were found between satisfaction and level of education and age. The study informs health policy and care improvements, emphasizing education and age's influence on satisfaction, suggesting targeted enhancements.