Calidad de atención y satisfacción de pacientes atendidos en la clínica odontológica de la UCSG.

Abstract

Introduction: Measuring quality allows healthcare professionals, such as dentists, to better understand patients' experiences regarding the care they receive. Another important aspect is patients' level of satisfaction with dental care. Satisfaction depends on various factors, such as the treatment received from staff, service accessibility, comfort of facilities, and treatment effectiveness. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the level of satisfaction and the perceived quality of care among patients treated at the dental clinic of the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil during semester B – 2024. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study with a descriptive and analytical design and a mixed approach (qualitative-quantitative) was conducted. Results: There was a marked trend toward medium levels of satisfaction (94%). The quality of dental care was mostly perceived as medium (88%). No association was found between overall satisfaction and general perceived quality of care (p > 0.05). However, an association was found between the dimensions of Security and Sensitivity and medium and low satisfaction levels (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Although patients' overall satisfaction was not directly related to their perception of the quality of care, it was observed that patients with medium satisfaction levels reported medium-quality sensitivity and low-quality security. This suggests that these factors could limit the achievement of higher satisfaction levels.