Calidad en la atención y satisfacción del paciente en los centros de salud comunitarios del Ministerio de Salud Pública de Azogues – Ecuador, noviembre 2024 – febrero 2025.

Abstract

Background: Quality and satisfaction are essential for improving patient care, especially among vulnerable populations. Quality is defined as the set of characteristics and standards that ensure safe care for patients, while satisfaction refers to how patients perceive the care they receive. Objective: To evaluate the quality of care and patient satisfaction among patients attending the Ministry of Public Health’s Community Health Centers in Azogues, Ecuador, from 2024 to 2025. Methodology: A quantitative, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2024 and February 2025 at 15 health centers in the city of Azogues. A total of 298 patients were selected using stratified probability sampling. Sociodemographic instruments and the SERVQUAL questionnaire were administered, and the data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics. Results: Most patients are men (66.1%), adults, and self-employed individuals (29.9%) with low incomes (50.7% earn less than USD 250 per month). Additionally, 78.5% do not have health insurance. Overall satisfaction with the service is low, at 59.73%, particularly regarding pharmacy wait times and medication availability. The greatest shortcomings in service quality are found in responsiveness (-0.86) and reliability (-0.616), highlighting the need for improvement in these areas. Conclusions and relevance: It is necessary to optimize administrative processes, improve infrastructure, and ensure medication availability. Additionally, training in empathetic care should be strengthened. These findings can guide public policies aimed at improving community health and the well-being of the population. Keywords: health care, quality of care, patient satisfaction, SERVQUAL, community health