Background & Objectives: Patient satisfaction is an attribute of quality care being legitimate and desired outcome. The aim was to assess parents' satisfaction with child mental health services and to identify some of its determinants.
Methods: The study was conducted in 4 child mental health clinics in Alexandria, Egypt [2 were affiliated to health insurance facilities and the other 2 to family health facilities]. One hundred and ninety six parents attending those clinics during the period from June 2005 to September 2005 were included in the study. They were subjected to self-reported questionnaire to collect some socio-demographic data and reasons for clinic attendance. In addition, improving Practice Questionnaire [IPQ] was used to assess levels of satisfaction across three dimensions: Doctors Interpersonal Skills, satisfaction about the practice and practice staff.
Results: Most of the parents [81%] reported fair overall satisfaction, while 61% of them were poorly satisfied with the practice [clinic], and 43% were highly satisfied with Doctors Interpersonal Skills. All doctors in child mental health insurance clinics received qualified training in child mental health while none of those in family health facilities received any. Parents attending child mental health insurance clinics recorded significantly higher mean overall satisfaction score, Doctors Interpersonal Skills score and satisfaction about the practice score compared to those attending family health facilities [t=18.34, p=0.00; t=6.75, p=0.00; and t=7.19, p=0.00, respectively]. However, there were no significant relation between socio-demographic variables and disease-related variables and overall satisfaction and its dimensions.
Conclusion: Parents' satisfaction was significantly related to training of physicians but was not related to any socio-demographic variables or disease-related variables. Provision of doctor' training to improve their communication skills is greatly needed.