MEDICO-LABORATORY SERVICES IN OUTPATIENT CARE IN NORTHEASTERN BULGARIA – STATE AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this article is to study the satisfaction of patients with laboratory services in outpatient care in Northeastern Bulgaria regarding access and quality of service. Study design: Prospective cohort study Material and methods: The survey was carried out on the territory of Northeastern Bulgaria and covered the districts of Varna, Dobrich and Shumen and thirty municipalities. The following methods were applied in the study: sociological method by applied direct anonymous questionnaire, documentary method and statistical methods for analysis and interpretation of the data in order to reveal the nature of the observed phenomena and their interrelations. Results: The research data show that 24,4% of the respondents live at a distance of more than ten kilometres from the nearest medico-diagnostic laboratory. The larger share of these patients are residents of small settlements in Northeastern Bulgaria. More than half (55%) of the respondents are not satisfied with their provision of laboratory services, but the majority of patients claim that the location of the selected laboratory is accessible (69,4%) and the quality of the laboratory service is high (83,7%). Conclusion: The main problems in outpatient care are related to the poor provision of medico-laboratory services and specialized outpatient care in the smaller settlements in Northeastern Bulgaria.

Keywords

• patients’ satisfaction
• medico-laboratory services
• outpatient care
• healthcare