ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES SCHOOL OF NURSING

Abstract

Back ground: Caregivers' satisfaction with healthcare has received little attention, even though they have vital role in ongoing care coordination and management; despite broader systemic shifts in health policy, their satisfaction levels remain below expectations. Lack of caregiver satisfaction makes the caregivers apprehensive, afraid to inquire about their child, and possibly unable to properly care for the children. Involving caregivers in child care decisions is crucial for patient-centered treatment and guarantee patient adherence. Objective: The objective of study is to assess the level of caregiver’s satisfaction and its associated factors with the services provided in pediatric wards of specialized hospital in Central Ethiopia region, Ethiopia 2024. Method: Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 369 caregivers using systematic random sampling technique from August 8- October 2 2024. Data were collected using kobo collect version 1.3. Descriptive statistics was carried out to compute frequency, mean, and standard deviations. Independent variables were analyzed using binary logistic regression. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, variables with a p-value of <0.05 ware considered as statistically significant, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval was calculated to show the strength of association. Result: The magnitudes of caregiver satisfaction towards care given at pediatric ward was 74%; 95% CI = (69.7-78.1). Educational status of college and above (AOR=2.80, 95%CI 1.32-5.98), Short waiting time (AOR= 2.08, 95%CI 1.16-3.74), elective admission (AOR=2.45, 95% CI 1.34-4.48), availability of laboratory test (AOR=2.39, 95% CI 1.39-4.12) and availability of drug (AOR=2.44.95% CI 1.43-4.16) were factors significantly associated with caregiver satisfaction toward care given in pediatric ward. Conclusion: This study found that three out of four caregivers ware satisfied with the care given in pediatric ward. Factors such as Educational statuses, mode of admission, length of waiting time, laboratory tests availability and availability of drug were associated with caregiver satisfaction towards care given in pediatric ward. So enhancing service accessibility and prioritize emergency care to fill the gap between current and optimal pediatric care is an essential.