Satisfaction of Service Recipients and Providers in Health Centers with Urban Family Physician Services and Other Health Centers in Sari and Gorgan, North of Iran

Satisfaction measurement of health service recipients and providers is a major indicator of health care assessment. The purpose of this study was to investigate service recipients and providers satisfaction in health centers with urban family physician (UFP) services and health centers without this service. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 15 family physicians, 47 healthcare staff, and 270 patients in 2017. The healthcare team and patients were selected via census and simple random sampling, respectively. Data was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The healthcare team completed the questionnaire and trained researchers completed the questionnaire for patients. Data analysis was done in SPSS. Patients' satisfaction was found to be significantly different in health centers providing UFP services and health centers without UFP services (P<0.05). The highest satisfaction level was seen in providing care and the relationship between family physician and patients in health centers running UFP program (4.59±0.6) and the least satisfaction level was observed in the right to choose the physician in health centers without UFP services (2.43±1.4). The satisfaction of physicians was not significantly different between the centers investigated and the highest rate was seen in health centers not providing UFP services with electronic health record and recording the services (3.67±1.3) and the least in UFP-run health centers about referral system (2.27±0.8). We did not find any significant difference in satisfaction level between the staff in health centers studied and the highest and lowest satisfaction was reported to be on management and the health team (3.75±0.7), and welfare facilities in health centers without UFP services, respectively (1.86±0.1). Implementation of family physician program is believed to satisfy the patients, but it was not successful in satisfying the healthcare personnel. Therefore, interventional programs are needed to motivate and satisfy the healthcare staff.