Assessment of Staff Satisfaction with the Medicare Scheme at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Ensuring a secure and healthy work environment for healthcare professionals is essential not only for their well-being but also for the overall integrity of the healthcare system. However, delivering healthcare services comes with its set of challenges. Offering incentives such as Medicare schemes has been identified as a strategy to boost job satisfaction. In the context of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, a staff Medicare scheme was introduced in 2015 as part of the hospital's efforts to motivate its workforce. The scheme provides medical cost refunds and full coverage for many staff, contributing to their satisfaction levels. However, the effectiveness of these schemes may be influenced by the level of satisfaction of the workforce these are intended for. Hence, the need for this study. Objective: The study sought to assess staff satisfaction with the Medicare scheme at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional design, utilizing quantitative methods was employed. The study was based on primary data from different cadres of healthcare staff in the fourteen Sub-BMCs of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital who were selected randomly using multistage sampling technique. A total of 394 respondents were recruited. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages and confidence intervals were used to summarize the data, while binary logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with staff satisfaction with the Medicare Scheme. Results: The study showed that approximately 96%; (95% CI: 93.5-97.5) of the respondents were aware of the Medicare Scheme. More than half (55.6%) of the staff enrolled on the Medicare Scheme were females while 44.3% were males. More than half (57.3%) of the respondents were satisfied with the Medicare Scheme (95% CI: 51.6-62.8). More males (62.7%; 95% CI: 54.2-70.5) than females (53%; 95% CI: 45.4-60.4) were satisfied with the scheme. Factors contributing to employee satisfaction with Medicare Scheme included prompt response to enquiries [OR:6.39(2.82-14.5):p-value <0.001], benefits [OR: 16.6(6.76-40.7); p – value <0.001], and ease of access to claims/refund [OR: 7.0 (2.21-22.0); p – value <0.001]. Conclusion: The study revealed that a majority of staff (57.3%) were satisfied with the Medicare Scheme, while a considerable minority (42.7%) were not satisfied. Factors such as prompt response to enquiries, benefits, and ease of access to claims/refunds were found to significantly influence staff satisfaction with the Scheme. It is therefore recommended that automated systems be employed to improve responsiveness to enquiries and streamline reimbursements, in order to enhance overall satisfaction with the Scheme.