Letter: HIV-Positive Patients' Satisfaction with Service Provided by a Public Hospital in Pretoria

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of satisfaction (dissatisfaction) with the quality of service and related factors among patients on antiretroviral treatment at Kalafong Immunology Clinic. Data were collected in a survey using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. This short report presents the findings from 349 patients (124 males and 225 females) who consented to participate in the study, during the study period between July and November, 2006. Key findings included the following: From a response rate of 85.1%, overall 60.7% of patients interviewed were satisfied with the service received at facility; female patients were more satisfied than male (75.4% vs 34.4%; p less than 0.01). Reasons for dissatisfaction included long queue (67.9%), lack of chairs (48.1%), not enough waiting space (14.6%), lack of privacy (11.7%), and disrespect from some staff members (5.8%). Although the majority of patients on antiretroviral treatment at this facility were satisfied with the quality of service, there is still a need to improve its infrastructure.