Determinants of Patient Satisfaction With Primary Health Care Among the Rural Community People: A Cross-Sectional Evidence From Khulna Division, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The primary healthcare system in Bangladesh is significantly inadequate in terms of quality and accessibility, particularly in rural areas. Patient satisfaction (PS) has been associated with utilization of primary health care (PHC) facilities. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with patient satisfaction in primary health care facilities among the rural community people in Khulna Division, Bangladesh. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 721 adults in three districts of the Khulna division including Jashore, Khulna, and Kushtia. PS was measured using five-point Likert scale (7 items, total 0-28 score). Data was gathered through a structured questionnaire and analyzed utilizing SPSS software and R programming. RESULTS: The overall patient satisfaction score was 18.41 ± 3.49 out of 28, representing 65.8%. Sociodemographic characteristics such as participants aged 41-50 years (β = -0.69; p = 0.034), having chronic diseases (β = -0.77; p = 0.047) and health facilities like union health and family welfare center (UHFWC) (β = -1.7; p = 0.028) were significantly associated with lower PS score. Regarding utilization factors, quality of treatment (β = 1.5; p = 0.036) and feeling comfortable to ask health provider (β = 2.8; p = 0.038) were significantly associated with higher PS score while waiting time more than 30 min (β = -1.7; p = 0.023) and getting free medicine (β = -1.7; p = 0.032) were significant predictors of lowering PS score. CONCLUSION: The Overall PS among rural population with PHC was moderate. Moreover, health facilities including UHFWC, long waiting time and even getting free medicine were negatively associated with PS. Findings suggest that policymakers should provide emphasis on improving service efficiency, medicine availability and patient-centered care.