Quality of Care at Cape Coast Central Hospital, Ghana: Users' Perspective

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Date

1999-06

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Ghana Medical Journal

Abstract

We carried out a survey of users' perception and assessment of the quality of care services provided at the Cape Coast Central Hospital. We interviewed 312 users from 24 communities in the Cape Coast municipality using a structured questionnaire. Of these, 77% 3 attended the hospital for primary care. Eighty-two (26%) were inpatient users during the 6 months preceding the study. Respondents' choice of the hospital was motivated by lower costs compared to private clinics, quality of medical care, available expertise and the final referral position of the hospital. The factors perceived to be most important for medical care included availability of drugs. clinicians and equipment and pleasant staff attitude. Fifty-seven percent of users were not informed about their diagnosis; 43% of those with preventable illnesses were not educated on how to prevent future episodes. Thirty-eight percent of users spent less than one hour at the hospital. Owing largely to non- availability. only 17% of users received all their prescribed drugs from the hospital's pharmacy. Fifty-two percent of all users spent at least ₵ 10,000 (cedis) during their last visit to the hospital. Inpatient users generally complained about poor sanitary facilities. lack of clean bedding, disturbance by mosquitoes and rodents and lack of entertainment facilities. Patients' blood pressure and weight were infrequently measured. Overall, 80% or more of users were satisfied with their diagnosis. treatment provided and skills of the clinical staff. Less than 56% were satisfied with staff attitude towards them and waiting time at the hospital. Twenty-eight percent were satisfied with the amount spent on care at the hospital. Inpatient users were less likely than outpatient users to be satisfied with their hospital bills or staff attitude. Our findings provide indicators for monitoring the quality of care delivered at the hospital.

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Journal Article on Quality Care at the Cape Coast Central Hospital

Keywords

Quality of care, User satisfaction, cost of care, Cape Coast Central Hospital

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