Abstract
Introduction
Patient satisfaction is widely recognized as a key measure of healthcare quality and reflects patients’ perceptions of care, health-seeking behavior and future utilization patterns. In Cambodia, national surveys have consistently highlighted concerns about provider attitudes, waiting times, and cleanliness, underscoring the importance of systematically monitoring satisfaction as part of hospital quality improvement. This study aimed to assess the level of patient satisfaction at Sampov Loun Referral Hospital (RH) in Battambang Province, Cambodia, and to identify key service domains and factors associated with patient satisfaction.
Methods
A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the Sampov Loun RH’s patient satisfaction surveys, which were collected between April 2021 and December 2022. A total of 5,166 patients from different departments were analyzed. Satisfaction was measured across core domains, including treatment and care, waiting time, counseling and cleanliness, and other domains, including staff friendliness, return intention and results, using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize satisfaction levels, whereas bivariate analyses were used to explore the associations between demographic and service characteristics and overall satisfaction. The data were analyzed using STATA V.15.
Results
Overall, patient satisfaction was high, with an average score of 84%, and 99% of the respondents indicated their intention to return for future care and treatment. Satisfaction scores improved steadily quarterly over time, rising from 75% in early May 2021 to 87% by November 2022. Across the domains, treatment and care consistently received the highest ratings, whereas counseling, cleanliness and staff friendliness improved significantly. The waiting time was relatively short for most patients, with 83% receiving care within 30 minutes. Patient satisfaction was strongly associated with younger age, type of service received and perceived treatment outcome (p value < 0.001). Patients who reported being fully recovered had significantly higher satisfaction (94%), followed by those who reported being better (79%), and patients without relieving reported lower satisfaction (67%).
Conclusion
Sampov Loun Referral Hospital achieved high and steadily improving levels of patient satisfaction during 2021–2022, particularly in the domains of counseling, cleanliness and staff friendliness, while maintaining consistently strong performance in treatment and care. These findings demonstrate the value of institutionalizing patient feedback systems to guide hospital-level quality improvement and support Cambodia’s broader goals for hospital accreditation and universal health coverage.