Dental Patient Satisfaction at Medunsa Oral Health Centre

Medunsa Oral Health Centre is an academic dental hospital situated in Gauteng, South Africa. The patients that visit the hospital are predominantly from the surrounding areas of Ga-Rankuwa, Mabopane and Soshanguve. Objectives: The objective of the study is to obtain input from first time visiting and recall patients at Medunsa Oral Health Centre regarding the treatment they receive in terms of the time they spend, the quality of treatment and the attitude of staff. Methods: Data for this study was collected using structured questionnaires which were given to first time visiting and recall patients awaiting treatment. The questionnaires were in both English and Setswana language. The questionnaires were given to patients who were 18 years or older after they received treatment. The study was conducted over a two month period; from June- July, 2009. Results: A total of 50 questionnaires were completed. The results of the gender, age, education, and employment status analysis is presented in table 1. The analysis for the responses to the various questions is reported in table 2. The patients were questioned on the reason they chose to come to Medunsa for treatment. The various reasons that were reported were, variety of services (345), best clinic in the area (24%), better equipment (24%), better service (16%) and the least being competent staff (2%). Conclusions: The results of this study show that there is a significant positive response to the dental services provided. According to the survey Medunsa Oral Health Centre is well equipped and provides a good service and the participants appreciate the variety of services provided. The researchers are of the opinion that the number of participants in the study is inadequate and that additional studies with more participants must be conducted for meaningful statistical conclusion.