Assessment of patients' satisfaction about the healthcare services provided by a health promoting university in India: A mixed-method study

Background: An outreach department of a health-promoting university has been providing preventive, promotive, curative, and health education services to the identified villages, slums, and construction labor populations in the rural and peri-urban areas of the Pune district since 2012. This study aimed to assess the satisfaction levels of the beneficiaries, with these services.Methods: Six hundred and twenty-two exit interviews with the outpatients visiting two primary-level clinics and 36 in-depth interviews with the key community informants and public healthcare providers from 15 villages were undertaken from July 10, 2019 to March 4, 2020. We collected data about satisfaction with the clinical services and health promotional activities provided, overall opinions, and expectations about the program. We calculated the frequency of the categorical variables and analyzed the qualitative data thematically.Results: More than 75% of respondents mentioned high satisfaction levels with the services provided at both clinics. Availability of primary medical care nearby homes and at affordable costs were the features of the clinics. The participants broadly expressed that 'Injectables' and a wider variety of medicines should be provided free at the clinics. The participants also mentioned that they received valuable information about various topics through the health awareness drives conducted under the program.Conclusion: The community was overall satisfied with the services provided by the program. There is a scope for extending the services to needful communities near the current catchment areas.