The Relationship Between Hiv Positive Clients’ Satisfaction With Health Services and Their Health Outcomes - A Cross-sectional Survey in the South Eastern Hospitals in Nigeria

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background:</bold> There’s limited information on the interrelationships of HIV-positive individuals’ satisfaction with health services and other health outcomes in the management of HIV infection in the Nigerian literature. <bold>OBJECTIVES:</bold> To predict the patients’ adherence to ART, CD4 count, viral load, and quality of life from their satisfaction with health services. <bold>METHODS:</bold> A large cross-sectional survey was conducted among the HIV-infected individuals in five tertiary institutions in South Eastern Nigeria using a validated Patient Satisfaction with Health Service Questionnaire (PSHS-Q), a European Quality of Life questionnaire, EQ-5D-5L, and the Center for Adherence Support Evaluation (CASE) Adherence index. Data analysis was done with appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics using IBM SPSS Version 23. P&lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. <bold>RESULTS:</bold> Levels of general satisfaction with health services were: Not satisfied (385, 24.2%), Slightly satisfied (341, 21.4 %), Satisfied (183, 11.5 %), and Very satisfied (684, 42.9 %). Patient satisfaction with health services is predictive of quality of life (β = 0.013, 95 % CI [0.008 - 0.017], <italic>p </italic>= 0.0001), but not of adherence to ART (β = 1.308, 95 % CI [0.770 – 2.222], <italic>p </italic>= 0.321), viral load suppression (β = 0.783, 95 % CI [0.435 – 1.411], <italic>p </italic>= 0.416) and CD4 Count (β = 0.938, 95% CI [0.568 – 1.551], <italic>p </italic>= 0.804). <bold>CONCLUSION</bold> The HIV/AIDS patients’ quality of life was positively predicted by their satisfaction with health services. However, their general satisfaction with health services did not affect their adherence to therapy, viral load, and CD4 count.