Satisfaction with physiotherapy among patients at a general hospital in Kuwait

OBJECTIVE: A pilot survey was conducted with adult patients attending the Physiotherapy Department at the Farwaniah Hospital, Kuwait, during the year 2000, to validate a questionnaire measuring outpatients' satisfaction with different aspects of physiotherapy care and associated socio-demographic factors.

METHODS: This study was carried out in the Department of Physiotherapy, Farwaniah Hospital, State of Kuwait, during a time period of 5-months. A structured questionnaire was developed to include questions relating to ease of contact for appointments, the organizational settings, quality of therapeutic services, overall satisfaction with the department, and willingness to re-utilize or to recommend the department in the future, along with socio-demographic data and the duration of the disease.

RESULTS: A total of 144 questionnaires were completed by a group of mostly women (64%) married (70%) participants, with a mean age of 40 years. Kuwaitis were 59% of the group, and less than 50% had a secondary education or more. A vast majority of participants perceived the department was easy to contact. Those with lower such perception were relatively older patients. On all other dimensions of satisfaction, the response was generally positive, regardless of socio-demographic variables or duration of disease. Less educated patients had a slightly lower tendency to recommend the department in the future (51%) than more educated ones (60%).

CONCLUSION: Patients in Kuwait tend to express high levels of satisfaction with health services, an attitude, which may be biased by cultural reluctance to express public negative views. Alternatively, it may be influenced by the relatively sustained interaction between patients and their therapists. It is important to provide more orientation to older, less educated patients who may feel lost within a process they do not fully comprehend.