Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia

Tayue Tateke; Mirkuzie Woldie; Shimeles Ololo

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18

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Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia

Tayue Tateke, Mirkuzie Woldie, Shimeles Ololo

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 1, Issue 3)

Received: 5 July 2013 Published: 10 August 2013

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Abstract

Introduction:Though being truly empathic with the patient in health service provision is challenging, it is a powerful and efficient communication tool when used appropriately. It is valuable for healthcare providers and receivers if patients perceived the healthcare providers understand the values, ideas and feelings of their patients. Therefore, this study was carried out to measure the level of perceived healthcare provider empathy and its’ determinants among outpatients of public and private hospitals in Addis Ababa, central Ethiopia.Material and Methods: Data were collected as part of a comparative cross sectional study conducted during March 27 to April 30/2010 in Addis Ababa. The size of the sample was determined using double population proportion formula. The study participants wereoutpatients who were identified using systematic sampling technique at randomly selected private and public hospitals. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire with Likert scales to measure perception of patients. Data were entered into computer software (SPSS version 16.0) to generate descriptive statistics and factor scores. ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted.Result: The respondents of the study were 626 (313 for each group of the hospitals) with response rate of 93.71%.The mean (± S.D) levels of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals were 33.47 (± 11.654) and 38.16 (± 10.161), respectively with possible value range of 10 to 50. At public hospitals, Welcoming approach, body signaling, consultation duration, perceived providers’ technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability and expectation about the hospital services were appeared significant determinants of perceived empathy level. Likewise, perceived welcoming approach, body signaling, perceived providers technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability, waiting time, perceived accessibility, expectation about hospital services and perceived cleanliness predicted perceived empathy at private hospitals.Conclusion: Despite significant difference in the level of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals, four of the identified determinants were common.The predictors of perceived provider empathy in this study were related to characteristics of patients, health care providers and the health system. Therefore, health service managers and health care providers should work on improving the communication skills of health professionals which could significantly alter the perception of the patient to services s/he receives at the outpatient department.

Published in	Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 1, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18
Page(s)	156-164
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Healthcare, Empathy, Treatment

References

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APA Style

Tayue Tateke, Mirkuzie Woldie, Shimeles Ololo. (2013). Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia. Science Journal of Public Health, 1(3), 156-164. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18

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ACS Style

Tayue Tateke; Mirkuzie Woldie; Shimeles Ololo. Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia. Sci. J. Public Health 2013, 1(3), 156-164. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18

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AMA Style

Tayue Tateke, Mirkuzie Woldie, Shimeles Ololo. Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia. Sci J Public Health. 2013;1(3):156-164. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18

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@article{10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18,
  author = {Tayue Tateke and Mirkuzie Woldie and Shimeles Ololo},
  title = {Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia},
  journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {1},
  number = {3},
  pages = {156-164},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20130103.18},
  abstract = {Introduction:Though being truly empathic with the patient in health service provision is challenging, it is a powerful and efficient communication tool when used appropriately. It is valuable for healthcare providers and receivers if patients perceived the healthcare providers understand the values, ideas and feelings of their patients. Therefore, this study was carried out to measure the level of perceived healthcare provider empathy and its’ determinants among outpatients of public and private hospitals in Addis Ababa, central Ethiopia.Material and Methods: Data were collected as part of a comparative cross sectional study conducted during March 27 to April 30/2010 in Addis Ababa. The size of the sample was determined using double population proportion formula. The study participants wereoutpatients who were identified using systematic sampling technique at randomly selected private and public hospitals. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire with Likert scales to measure perception of patients. Data were entered into computer software (SPSS version 16.0) to generate descriptive statistics and factor scores. ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted.Result: The respondents of the study were 626 (313 for each group of the hospitals) with response rate of 93.71%.The mean (± S.D) levels of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals were 33.47 (± 11.654) and 38.16 (± 10.161), respectively with possible value range of 10 to 50. At public hospitals, Welcoming approach, body signaling, consultation duration, perceived providers’ technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability and expectation about the hospital services were appeared significant determinants of perceived empathy level. Likewise, perceived welcoming approach, body signaling, perceived providers technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability, waiting time, perceived accessibility, expectation about hospital services and perceived cleanliness predicted perceived empathy at private hospitals.Conclusion: Despite significant difference in the level of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals, four of the identified determinants were common.The predictors of perceived provider empathy in this study were related to characteristics of patients, health care providers and the health system. Therefore, health service managers and health care providers should work on improving the communication skills of health professionals which could significantly alter the perception of the patient to services s/he receives at the outpatient department.},
 year = {2013}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia
AU  - Tayue Tateke
AU  - Mirkuzie Woldie
AU  - Shimeles Ololo
Y1  - 2013/08/10
PY  - 2013
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18
T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
SP  - 156
EP  - 164
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7950
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18
AB  - Introduction:Though being truly empathic with the patient in health service provision is challenging, it is a powerful and efficient communication tool when used appropriately. It is valuable for healthcare providers and receivers if patients perceived the healthcare providers understand the values, ideas and feelings of their patients. Therefore, this study was carried out to measure the level of perceived healthcare provider empathy and its’ determinants among outpatients of public and private hospitals in Addis Ababa, central Ethiopia.Material and Methods: Data were collected as part of a comparative cross sectional study conducted during March 27 to April 30/2010 in Addis Ababa. The size of the sample was determined using double population proportion formula. The study participants wereoutpatients who were identified using systematic sampling technique at randomly selected private and public hospitals. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire with Likert scales to measure perception of patients. Data were entered into computer software (SPSS version 16.0) to generate descriptive statistics and factor scores. ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted.Result: The respondents of the study were 626 (313 for each group of the hospitals) with response rate of 93.71%.The mean (± S.D) levels of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals were 33.47 (± 11.654) and 38.16 (± 10.161), respectively with possible value range of 10 to 50. At public hospitals, Welcoming approach, body signaling, consultation duration, perceived providers’ technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability and expectation about the hospital services were appeared significant determinants of perceived empathy level. Likewise, perceived welcoming approach, body signaling, perceived providers technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability, waiting time, perceived accessibility, expectation about hospital services and perceived cleanliness predicted perceived empathy at private hospitals.Conclusion: Despite significant difference in the level of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals, four of the identified determinants were common.The predictors of perceived provider empathy in this study were related to characteristics of patients, health care providers and the health system. Therefore, health service managers and health care providers should work on improving the communication skills of health professionals which could significantly alter the perception of the patient to services s/he receives at the outpatient department.
VL  - 1
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Tayue Tateke

Collegeof Medicine and Health Sciences, Arbaminch University, P.O.Box 80583, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Mirkuzie Woldie

Department of Health Services Management, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
Shimeles Ololo

Department of Health Services Management, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

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APA Style

Tayue Tateke, Mirkuzie Woldie, Shimeles Ololo. (2013). Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia. Science Journal of Public Health, 1(3), 156-164. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18

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ACS Style

Tayue Tateke; Mirkuzie Woldie; Shimeles Ololo. Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia. Sci. J. Public Health 2013, 1(3), 156-164. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18

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AMA Style

Tayue Tateke, Mirkuzie Woldie, Shimeles Ololo. Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia. Sci J Public Health. 2013;1(3):156-164. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18

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@article{10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18,
  author = {Tayue Tateke and Mirkuzie Woldie and Shimeles Ololo},
  title = {Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia},
  journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {1},
  number = {3},
  pages = {156-164},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20130103.18},
  abstract = {Introduction:Though being truly empathic with the patient in health service provision is challenging, it is a powerful and efficient communication tool when used appropriately. It is valuable for healthcare providers and receivers if patients perceived the healthcare providers understand the values, ideas and feelings of their patients. Therefore, this study was carried out to measure the level of perceived healthcare provider empathy and its’ determinants among outpatients of public and private hospitals in Addis Ababa, central Ethiopia.Material and Methods: Data were collected as part of a comparative cross sectional study conducted during March 27 to April 30/2010 in Addis Ababa. The size of the sample was determined using double population proportion formula. The study participants wereoutpatients who were identified using systematic sampling technique at randomly selected private and public hospitals. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire with Likert scales to measure perception of patients. Data were entered into computer software (SPSS version 16.0) to generate descriptive statistics and factor scores. ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted.Result: The respondents of the study were 626 (313 for each group of the hospitals) with response rate of 93.71%.The mean (± S.D) levels of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals were 33.47 (± 11.654) and 38.16 (± 10.161), respectively with possible value range of 10 to 50. At public hospitals, Welcoming approach, body signaling, consultation duration, perceived providers’ technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability and expectation about the hospital services were appeared significant determinants of perceived empathy level. Likewise, perceived welcoming approach, body signaling, perceived providers technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability, waiting time, perceived accessibility, expectation about hospital services and perceived cleanliness predicted perceived empathy at private hospitals.Conclusion: Despite significant difference in the level of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals, four of the identified determinants were common.The predictors of perceived provider empathy in this study were related to characteristics of patients, health care providers and the health system. Therefore, health service managers and health care providers should work on improving the communication skills of health professionals which could significantly alter the perception of the patient to services s/he receives at the outpatient department.},
 year = {2013}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Determinants of Perceived Health Care Provider Empathy at Public and Private Hospitals in Central Ethiopia
AU  - Tayue Tateke
AU  - Mirkuzie Woldie
AU  - Shimeles Ololo
Y1  - 2013/08/10
PY  - 2013
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18
T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
SP  - 156
EP  - 164
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7950
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130103.18
AB  - Introduction:Though being truly empathic with the patient in health service provision is challenging, it is a powerful and efficient communication tool when used appropriately. It is valuable for healthcare providers and receivers if patients perceived the healthcare providers understand the values, ideas and feelings of their patients. Therefore, this study was carried out to measure the level of perceived healthcare provider empathy and its’ determinants among outpatients of public and private hospitals in Addis Ababa, central Ethiopia.Material and Methods: Data were collected as part of a comparative cross sectional study conducted during March 27 to April 30/2010 in Addis Ababa. The size of the sample was determined using double population proportion formula. The study participants wereoutpatients who were identified using systematic sampling technique at randomly selected private and public hospitals. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire with Likert scales to measure perception of patients. Data were entered into computer software (SPSS version 16.0) to generate descriptive statistics and factor scores. ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted.Result: The respondents of the study were 626 (313 for each group of the hospitals) with response rate of 93.71%.The mean (± S.D) levels of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals were 33.47 (± 11.654) and 38.16 (± 10.161), respectively with possible value range of 10 to 50. At public hospitals, Welcoming approach, body signaling, consultation duration, perceived providers’ technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability and expectation about the hospital services were appeared significant determinants of perceived empathy level. Likewise, perceived welcoming approach, body signaling, perceived providers technical competency, perceived providers lack of experience and ability, waiting time, perceived accessibility, expectation about hospital services and perceived cleanliness predicted perceived empathy at private hospitals.Conclusion: Despite significant difference in the level of perceived empathy at public and private hospitals, four of the identified determinants were common.The predictors of perceived provider empathy in this study were related to characteristics of patients, health care providers and the health system. Therefore, health service managers and health care providers should work on improving the communication skills of health professionals which could significantly alter the perception of the patient to services s/he receives at the outpatient department.
VL  - 1
IS  - 3
ER  -

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