AN ANALYSIS OF DOCTOR-PATIENT COMMUNICATION AND PATIENTSATISFACTION IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI TEACHING HOSPITAL, MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA.
Regina E Brisibe1Gazali A. Waziri2
Department of Sociology and Anthropology,
University of Maiduguri, Borno State
Email: brisibeenajite@gmail.com
Abstract
Doctors frequently over estimate the amount of information they have provided to patients, and also believe that patients are satisfied with the communication they received during consultation, as it is difficult for patients to convey dissatisfaction in the consultation. Communication and understanding between doctors and patients is an important element in consultation and healing process. Do patients leave the consultation without asking questions about things that are troubling them or do they receive what they regard as a satisfactory response? The study analysed doctor-patient communication and patient satisfaction in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. The main aim of this study is to analyse how patient satisfaction can be achieved through effective doctor-patient communication in the Outpatient Section of the Department. The Blumer’s idea of Symbolic Interactions Model of Health and Illness which says that “we act toward things according to the meaning we give them and the meaning we give to things is the result of social interaction” was adopted. The population comprised of out-patients seeking care and treatment of conditions related to obstetrics and gynaecology issues such as ante-natal, post-natal, delivery, gynaecological problems, and family planning in the out-patient section of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department. The doctors who rendered the services were also interviewed as well as mothers. A total of 164 out-patients were randomly drawn from the population using stratified random sampling. Survey method was used as a primary data employing questionnaires and in-depth interview as the instruments for data collection, using the simple random technique method of selection. The descriptive statistics of frequency distribution and percentage were used for the analysis and results were presented in tables. Chi Square statistics were used to show whether there was any relationship between doctor-patient communication and patients’ satisfaction. The findings indicated that there was no communication problem, there was high level of satisfaction as 75 percent of the patient were satisfied with their doctors’ communication; however, patients did not understand their doctors because of lack of adequate explanation’ due to visitors’ interruptions in the consultation room; Shyness was found to be the major barriers or hindrances of communication between doctors and their patients. Both the doctors and the patient’s 100 percent advocated for interpreters when language is impaired. It was recommended that medical interpreters should be trained to make communication easier for both the doctors and the patients to enhance patients’ satisfaction.