Satisfaction of Physiotherapy Services and Socio-Demographic Associates among Individuals with Low Back Pain Attending Outpatient Physiotherapy Unit in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Patients’ satisfaction is an important indicator of the quality of care provided to recipients of health services. It is imperative to evaluate patients’ satisfaction to physiotherapy services, so that patients’ needs are better catered for, as well as to improve the services. This study assessed satisfaction of physiotherapy services among patients with Low Back Pain (LBP) in an outpatient physiotherapy unit in kano, Nigeria. The study was a cross sectional survey involving 202 LBP patients receiving physiotherapy treatment. MedRisk Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to assess their satisfaction. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the participants’ characteristics. Chi-square test analyzed the association between participants’ characteristics and satisfaction, statistical level of significance was defined as p≤0.05. A total of 186 participants completed the questionnaires, a response rate of 92%. Among all the participants; hundred (53.8%) were females, most of them fall within the age ranges of 30-39years (30.1%) and 40-49 (28.5%), 83% are married and 48% have attained a tertiary education level. Majority (86.0%) of the participants are Muslims and Hausa by tribe. Satisfaction level was reported to be high in 167 of the participants (90%). Demographic data of; age (40-49), female gender, married status, 4 visits, tertiary education, Islam and Hausa have the highest satisfaction. However, only number of visits (p=0.01) and educational level (p=0.04) have significant association with satisfaction. Conclusively, satisfaction was high among LBP patients attending an out-patient physiotherapy unit in Kano, Nigeria. Education level and number of visits are associated with patients’ level of satisfaction.