Abstract:
Background: Compassionate and respectful care is the current attention of health care system over the world because it is a means to improve and keep quality health care service. But, despite this fact because of increased health care need, globally it falls at the fundamental level. Less research emphasis was given on patient’s perspective in Ethiopia.
Objective: This study aimed to assess compassionate and respectful care and associated factors among adult outpatient clients at Sululta health centers in Sululta Town, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2023.
Methods: A facility-based quantitative cross-sectional study supplemented with the qualitative method was conducted among adult outpatient client at health centers in Sululta Town, Oromia, Ethiopia from 30 June to 30 July 2023. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative data among 374 participants. Systematic and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the quantitative and qualitative participants, respectively. A semi-structured interview guide was also employed for the qualitative data collection. Epi-Data version 4.6 and SPSS version 25 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. The bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify the factors associated with each outcome variable (compassionate and respectful care separately). Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value less than 0.05 were used to declare the strength and factors statistically associated with the outcome variables.
Results: Overall, 53.7% (95%CI: 48.5%-58.9%) and 48.9% (95%CI: 43.8-54.1%) of the respondents received good compassionate and respectful care, respectively. Patients attending primary education (AOR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.20–0.71), patients aged over 36 years (AOR = 4.28; 95%CI: 2.32–7.87), divorced patient (AOR= 0.33; 95%CI: 0.10-0.75) and Clients who had monthly income of above three thousand (AOR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.25-0.87) were statistically significantly associated with compassionate care. On the other hand, Patients aged over 36 years (AOR = 3.33; 95%CI: 1.59–6.95), patients who visited health facility two times in the last six month (AOR = 2.19; 95%CI: 1.24–3.88), Patients who had monthly income of greater than five thousand Ethiopian birr ( AOR=0.51; 95 % CI: 0.26-0.98), Married patients(AOR=0.13; 95% CI: 0.10-0.31), and divorced patient (AOR= 0.18; 95%CI:0.10-0.43) were statistically significantly associated with a respectful care. In qualitative study; Identified barriers of compassionate and respectful care were, lack of training, patient attitude, health facility and incentive.
Conclusion: The overall Compassionate and respectful care provided to the adult outpatient clients in health centers of Sululta town, Oromia, Ethiopia was low. Educational status, age of participants, monthly income, marital status, and number of visiting health facility in the last six month were factors associated with good compassionate and respectful care
