Patient Satisfaction in a Dental Hospital with Respect to Clinician Expertise

Aim: To compare the level of patient satisfaction in a dental hospital with respect to clinician expertise. Objective: To assess the patient satisfaction in a dental hospital and compare the patient satisfaction between those who were treated by undergraduates, fourth year undergraduates and Compulsory Rotational Interns (CRI) based on the clinician’s speed of treatment, explanation and caring and cleanliness. Background: Patient satisfaction is regarded as an important outcome of care and is one of the major factors that contribute to better patient compliance and consequently to improved clinical outcomes. Measuring patient satisfaction allows for evaluation of health systems, particularly comparisons between different models of care delivery. Rationale: As teaching facilities, dental school clinics must constantly strive to find a balance between meeting the needs of the patient and meeting the needs of the student, all the while knowing that patients and their satisfaction are critical to the education of our students. Materials and Method: This study was conducted among the patients undergoing treatment in Saveetha Dental Hospital, Chennai. Feedback was collected from 1500 patients of which 500 were treated by third years, 500 were treated by final years and 500 were treated by CRI (Compulsory Rotational Internship) and the satisfaction level of patient was assessed based on the speed of the procedure, explanation of the procedure, empathy and cleanliness on a scale of 0-10 and the average score was compared among third year undergraduates, fourth year undergraduates and CRI. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS software using Anova and Post-Hoc test. Results: Overall, the satisfaction score of patients treated by interns were higher in all the categories followed by final years and third years. Interns were significantly better than third years and final years in terms of explanation and cleanliness. But, there was no statistically significant difference between 3rd years, fourth years and interns in terms of speed of treatment. Conclusion: From this study, it can be concluded that as the level of expertise increases the level of patient satisfaction increases.