Evaluating Patient Satisfaction with Community Clinic Services: Evidence from Meherpur District, Bangladesh
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study explores how satisfied patients are with the services provided by community clinics (CCs) in rural areas of Meherpur, Bangladesh. The main goals are to understand the background of the patients who use these clinics, to assess the level of patient satisfaction with the services they receive, and determine what problems exist in service delivery. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using the SERVQUAL model, which looks at five key areas: physical facilities and equipment (tangibility), dependability of service (reliability), prompt response from staff (responsiveness), trust in healthcare providers (assurance), and caring behavior (empathy). In addition, the study examined how easy it is for patients to access the clinic and whether they find treatment costs affordable. Data were collected using a purposive sampling technique through a survey of 300 patients, using structured questionnaires, and analyzed through descriptive statistics and multiple regression techniques. The results showed that all five SERVQUAL dimensions and the two extra factors—access and cost significantly influenced patients’ satisfaction. Reliability was the most influential factor, followed by assurance, empathy, tangibility, responsiveness, and access. Conversely, treatment cost had a negative and significant effect, indicating that an increase of expense reduces patient satisfaction. The model's R-squared value of 0.81 confirms its robustness in explaining patient satisfaction. The study also found significant service barriers include a lack of trained doctors, inefficient nursing staff, insufficient medicine, and poor sanitation. The findings emphasize the need for better staffing, infrastructure, cost transparency, and community engagement to improve community clinics’ service quality and patient outcomes in rural Bangladesh.
Authors: Nilufar Easmin, Shahed Ahmed
Institution: Islamic University
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4410010312