Patient satisfaction on the utilization of traditional and complementary medicine services at public hospitals in Malaysia

Jaspal Kaur; Nobuyuki Hamajima; Eiko Yamamoto; Yu Mon Saw; Tetsuyoshi Kariya; Goh Cheng Soon; Ariyani Amin; Adilla Nur Halim; Farhana Abdul Aziz; Suraya Hani Sharon

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.013

Patient satisfaction on the utilization of traditional and complementary medicine services at public hospitals in Malaysia

Complement Ther Med. 2019 Feb:42:422-428. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.013. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Department of Healthcare Administration, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health, Malaysia. Electronic address: jaspal@moh.gov.my.
² Department of Department of Healthcare Administration, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
³ Department of Department of Healthcare Administration, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; Nagoya University Asian Satellite Campuses Institute, Nagoya, Japan.
⁴ Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health, Malaysia.

PMID: 30670278
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.013

Abstract

Background: Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) has been integrated into the Malaysian public healthcare system since the establishment of the first T&CM unit at a public hospital in 2007. Assessing patient satisfaction is a vital component of health service evaluation. The main objective of this study is to determine the level of patient satisfaction with the utilization of T&CM services at public hospitals in Malaysia and assess the sociodemographic influence on the overall reporting of satisfaction. This study also aims to analyze the response of the patients towards expansion of T&CM services in the public sector in Malaysia.

Materials and methods: A study was conducted to analyze data on the utilization of T&CM services within public hospitals. Secondary data on 822 patients' satisfaction with services offered at 15 T&CM units was analyzed to examine the overall levels of satisfaction with T&CM services in public hospitals in Malaysia.

Results: Overall, 99.4% of patients were satisfied with T&CM services and most patients (91.8%) felt that T&CM treatment positively impacted their health. Overall satisfaction was not affected by lower levels of satisfaction with subcategories of service, such as the number of treatment sessions received (90.7% satisfied), date to the next appointment (90.7% satisfied), and the absence of adverse effects of treatment received (87.1% satisfied). There were no significant associations between the socioeconomic status of the respondents and the level of satisfaction reported; however, respondents with a monthly salary of Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 1000 to RM 3000 were more than twice as likely to be strongly satisfied with services received (adjusted odds ratios [AOR]: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.19-3.78).

Conclusion: This study revealed a high level of satisfaction among patients who had received T&CM treatment at public hospitals in Malaysia. High satisfaction with T&CM treatment validates the integrative management approach adopted in patient care within the public hospitals in Malaysia.

Keywords: Alternative medicine; Complementary; Healthcare service; Integration; Medicine; Patient satisfaction; Traditional medicine.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Complementary Therapies*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Services
Hospitals, Public*
Humans
Income
Malaysia
Male
Medicine, Traditional
Middle Aged
Patient Care
Patient Satisfaction*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult