Gender Difference in Outpatient Waiting Time and Satisfaction: Evidence from an Indian Public Hospital

Abstract

Non-participant observation indicates that heavy patient pressure is common in public hospitals, driven by the demand for better healthcare facilities, improved infrastructure, and lower treatment costs. This study aims to identify gender differences in patients' waiting times and subsequent satisfaction with care in the context of excessive patient pressure at the main hospital in Cooch Behar district, India. A further objective is to examine the relationship between patients' waiting times and perceived satisfaction levels. This cross-sectional study used purposive sampling to collect on-site responses from 100 patients (men = 54; women = 46) who visited the outpatient department of the hospital. Their responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale. An independent-samples t-test was performed to determine whether there was a significant difference in waiting time and associated satisfaction between male and female patients. Significant gender differences were observed in mean waiting time (P = .01) and satisfaction (P = .012). Mean waiting time was higher among female patients than among male patients (male = 129.81 minutes; ± 37.44, female = 148.26 minutes; ± 31.36). Mean satisfaction was higher among male patients than among female patients (male = 13.57; ± 2.24, female = 12.50; ± 1.88). There is a need to improve the existing healthcare infrastructure of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Sub-Centres (SCs) serving rural areas of the district to reduce patients' waiting times, particularly among female patients, considering their greater need for healthcare services.