Patient satisfaction among outpatients receiving psychiatric services in urban Bengaluru community settings by the District Mental Health Program (DMHP) team

ABSTRACT Background: The patient satisfaction is the indicator of healthcare quality and system responsiveness. The information on the urban outpatient psychiatric care satisfaction remains limited in spite of the steady expansion of India’s District Mental Health Program (DMHP). Aim: To assess the patient satisfaction among outpatients receiving psychiatric care under the Bangalore Urban DMHP through multiple domains. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at three DMHP facilities (Gunjur Primary Health Centre (PHC), Konanakunte PHC, and Anekal Community Health Centre). A total of 100 adult psychiatric outpatients were selected through consecutive sampling and interviewed using a standardized 18-item questionnaire developed by the Centre for Public Health, NIMHANS. The questionnaire had four domains: provider interaction, physical environment, service-related aspects, and accessibility. Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests were used for normality, Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for group comparisons, Cronbach’s alpha was used for reliability, and Spearman’s correlation was used for inter-domain relationships. Results: High satisfaction was noted overall (mean was 3.13 ± 0.41 on four-point scale). Provider interaction domain rated highest (mean was 3.19 ± 0.47), while privacy within consultation rooms rated lowest (2.80 ± 0.77). Notably, 26% of respondents answered “Can’t Say” regarding privacy scores, with an additional 5% expressing dissatisfaction. No statistically significant gender differences were seen across any domains (all P > 0.05). Cronbach’s alpha for the overall questionnaire was 0.978, indicating excellent internal consistency. Conclusion: High patient satisfaction across domains was achieved by DMHP urban services and also no significant differences in satisfaction between males and females. A major proportion of uncertain responses regarding privacy concerns during consultations remains a critical area for improvement.