Patient satisfaction improves, concerns remain about costs

Patients register for health checkups at the National Haematology and Blood Transfusion Institute in Hanoi (Photo: congly.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – The average patient satisfaction index (PSI) in 2018 improved slightly to 4.04/5, or 80.8 percent of their expectation, compared to 3.98/5 and 79.6 percent in 2017.

The 2018 figure was announced by the Health Ministry in coordination with Vietnam-initiative (VNI) at a workshop on May 30.

Director of the Medical Services Administration (MSA) under the Ministry of Health Luong Ngoc Khue said the PSI 2018 was based on a survey of more than 7,500 in-patients and their caregivers at 60 hospitals in 23 provinces and cities.

Among the hospitals, 13 were rated as very good (21.7 percent), 26 were rated as good (43.3 percent) and the remaining 21 were rated fair (35 percent).

The 2018 PSI was the joint work of the Health Ministry, the VNI, and the Indiana University of the US under the “Equitable Healthcare through PSI” funded by Oxfam Vietnam and the embassies of Belgium and the Netherlands in Vietnam.

Hospitals have conducted surveys on patient satisfaction since 2015 among both in-patients and out-patients who are receiving treatment. However, the PSI survey focuses on inpatients who have been released from hospital.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Ngoc Tien said the survey aimed to determine the needs of patients and shortcomings in the country’s healthcare system. The lessons learnt from the survey will help the health sector and hospitals improve their check-up and examination services. -VNA