EXPERIENCE AND LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH INSTITUTIONALIZED MEDICAL CHECK UP AMONG STAFF OF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Medical check-up (MC) is a type of screening test for those in the general public that do not have any particular disease; when patients exhibit symptoms they are referred to consult with a doctor in a specialized department. Institutionalised Medical Check-up (IMC) put in place for staff of the University of Ibadan (UI) is to ensure optimal health. While the efforts are in the right direction, the uneven demand and perceptions of poor health service delivery that plague the general public may influence the uptake of this service. The study investigated the experience and level of satisfaction with IMC among staff of UI who participated in the general MC. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a three-stage sampling technique. Three hundred and one respondents were selected from all the faculties and service departments in the College of Medicine (COM), University of Ibadan. A self-administered questionnaire investigating practices, experiences and satisfaction with IMC was used to collect data from respondents. Satisfaction was measured on a 14-point scale; scores less than 14 was categorised as not satisfied. Experience was assessed using 16 selected domains of what happened during the MC exercise. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test at p=0.05. Respondents’ age was 43.9±15.7 years and most respondents (36.5%) were from the service departments of the COM. More of the respondents (32%) who participated in the study are senior non teaching staff while least (11%) participation was shown among teaching staff. Majority of respondents (69.6%) claimed that they got the information about the MC through internal memo. Although 63.8% of the respondents felt compelled to participate in the MC programme, 82.8% respondents felt the need to participate. Majority (69.4%) participated to know their health status while 38.9% respondents did it to satisfy the establishment. Majority (89.7%) completed the MC, 84% collected all their results and only 67.7% went back to the doctor with the results. About half (59.1%) of respondents were not satisfied with the medical check-up. Out of all the domains of satisfaction, time spent for the MC had the least percentage of satisfied respondents (67.8%) while provider-client interaction had the highest satisfied respondents (88.0%) Majority (88.4%) of respondents recommended that the MC

should continue. Educational level of respondents was significantly associated with level of satisfaction, with secondary education and below (65%) showing higher level of satisfaction. A relatively low level of satisfaction was found among staff in relation with the University of Ibadan medical check-up, staff had a pleasant experience. However, satisfaction with waiting time was lower than that of other domains. In addition respondents with higher education were less satisfied with the service. An effective communication and continuous health education; Seminar should be incorporated in standard of healthcare delivery to give service improvement which would in turn increase participation and effectiveness of Institutionalised Medical check-up.