Outpatient perceptions of public hospitals’ services in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

This study explores key factors in outpatient satisfaction. A sample of 619 outpatients from ten public hospitals were interviewed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Five key factors were found to impact outpatient satisfaction: effectiveness, respect, appropriateness, reputation, and efficiency. The findings confirm that reputation is a factor not only for small and medium-sized private hospitals but also has a significant impact on outpatient satisfaction for public hospitals. In addition, even though some public hospitals are considered to be leading hospitals nationwide, they are evaluated poorly in terms of outpatient satisfaction.