Evaluating patient satisfaction with quality of care in outpatient departments of a Nigerian mission-based hospital

Patient satisfaction reflects healthcare quality and influences service use, treatment adherence, and health outcomes. In Nigeria, dissatisfaction is common due to delays, poor communication, and inadequate facilities, especially in outpatient care. While mission hospitals play a key role in underserved areas, they remain under-researched. Therefore, this study evaluates the patients’ satisfaction with the services received at the outpatient departments of Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital, a mission-based hospital in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife, involving 246 adult outpatients selected using the Leslie–Kish formula and purposive sampling. Data were collected using a modified 18-item Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18) covering seven subscales. Responses were rated on a five-point Likert scale and transformed into percentage scores. Descriptive statistics summarized demographics and clinical data. Inferential analyses, including chi-square tests, ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation, and multiple linear regression, were performed using SPSS 27, Stata 15, and Python to identify satisfaction predictors and associations. The study involved predominantly female (72.4%) and Yoruba (71.1%) respondents, with 66.3% having tertiary education. Most attended the General Outpatient Department (49.6%), and 51.2% waited 30 min to 1 h before consultation. Out-of-pocket payment was most common (44.3%), and 45.5% sought care within 1–3 days. Overall satisfaction was 76.28 ± 15.65, highest for technical quality (78.70 ± 15.54) and lowest for accessibility (73.98 ± 18.33). Satisfaction significantly varied by marital status ( p = 0.004), education ( p < 0.001), religion ( p = 0.001), ethnicity ( p = 0.012), clinic type ( p < 0.001), waiting time ( p < 0.001), and symptom duration ( p < 0.001). Regression showed lower satisfaction among singles (β=-5.028) and uneducated patients (β=-9.893). The study concludes that patient satisfaction is generally high, particularly technical competence and communication. However, satisfaction significantly varies by marital status, education, clinic type, and waiting time. Patients who were married, more educated, attended specialised clinics, and experienced shorter wait times reported higher satisfaction. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring healthcare services to sociodemographic and clinical factors to enhance overall patient satisfaction and healthcare delivery quality.