Abstract

Background: Health is a fundamental human right. Outpatient department (OPD) registration counter is the first entry point of any patient, and it is an important point to reflect the services provided to the community in a hospital setting. Objectives: (1) To review the existing situation of patient load and OPD registration counter facility available, (2) the mode of channelization of patients from OPD registration counters to one nearest and one farthest OPD, and (3) the difficulty faced by patients and patient satisfaction.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study design based on direct observation and interview of patients done at OPD of NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. A total of 640 patients were selected from simple random sampling technique, who were going to either medicine (nearest) or Pediatric (farthest) department. Time was noted at different points of channelization, and interview of the patient was taken with the help of a predesigned questionnaire. Data were analyzed using MS Office Excel 2007 software. Result: Of the 640 patients, only 605 (94.5%) of them took part till the end of the study. The average arrival rate was 80 patients/h. The average time taken between joining the queue and reaching up to the registration counter was 29 ± 2.9 min. The average total time taken to get the OPD services after joining the queue was 74.6 ± 4.1 min. Patients were dissatisfied with physical facility but satisfied with staffs. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction toward hospital staffs and doctors were good, but they were dissatisfied with physical facility and waiting time. There is an urgent need to focus on causes of dissatisfaction to increase patient compliance and success of treatment.