CLIENTS' UTILIZATION AND PERCEIVED LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES RECEIVED AT THE CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING CLINIC, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Cervical Cancer (CC) is a major problem of public health importance especially for women from the developing countries. Cervical cancer screening is an important public health measure because when detected early can be treated. The cervical cancer screening clinic of University College Hospital (UCH) had been opened since 2003, but clients' level of satisfaction had not been assessed. This study therefore, assessed clients' level of satisfaction with services received at the CC Screening Clinic, U C H, lbadan. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey. All the 254 clients who visited the clinic for Pap smear during the three months period of the study were invited to participate in the study. However only 160 clients consented to participate in the study (63% response rate) A validated questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents using an exit-interview approach. Data were analyzed using descriptive and Chi-square statistics. The respondents' mean age was 42 ±10.2 years. More than half of the respondents (56.3%) had tertiary education, 29.4% had secondary education while 8.8% had primary education. Most of the respondents (65.0%) had heard about cervical screening prior to their referral to the clinic. Their overall mean knowledge score of cervical cancer was 8.2±0.94 out of 16 points. Respondents' with higher education had higher mean knowledge score 8.5±0.92 than those with lower education 6.4±0.89. Only 23.8% had previously done a Pap smear, 75.6% had never while 0.6% was not sure. The reason adduced by 66.9% of those who' had never had the Pap smear was lack of awareness about the existence of the clinic. Most of the respondents (66.3%) were referred from the clinics in UCH and other health facilities, 26.3% were referred by friends and relations, 5.6% from religious institutions and 1.9% were self-referred. A majority (93.8%) of respondents expressed satisfaction with the services received in the clinic. The level of satisfaction with the components of the services of the clinic were as follows: Courtesy of reception at the waiting area (86.9%), quality of information on CC (54.4%), quality of information provided on Pap smear (59.4%), privacy (98.1%), counseling (58.1%), prompt attention (88.8%), method of sterilization of instruments (92.5%), perceived competence of the health workers (95.6%) and (63.1%) test fee. Few clients (6.9%) reported dissatisfaction with delay in obtaining result, pain during test (1.3%) and power failure (1.9%). All the respondents claimed that the health workers addressed them politely. More clients with tertiary education (55.3%) reported satisfaction with services than those with secondary (31.8%), and primary education (8.2%). More clients (59.3%) within 40-49 years age range reported higher level of satisfaction than clients with age range, 50 years and above (55.3%), 30-39 years (50.0%). High level of service satisfaction with low self referral for CC screening services was documented, but previous service utilization was observed to be low. Health education strategies such as increased community awareness and motivation through communication materials should be put in place to sustain the quality of the services at the clinic for high demand.