Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40315218›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

The Perception of Waiting Times on Patient Satisfaction and Patient Care: A Cross-Sectional Study at a Tertiary Health Care Institution in Kenya.

Soud Seif, Jasmit Shah, Ali Chandani, Sayed K Ali

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. OpenThread as a tool for localization of devices and patients in healthcare systems.International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery · 2026
    Article
  2. Operational inefficiency and perceived quality in a paediatric day hospital: a lean-informed study of patient flow, caregiver and staff perceptions.International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care · 2026
    Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Soud SeifDepartment of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1190-0242
Jasmit ShahDepartment of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Ali ChandaniDepartment of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Sayed K AliDepartment of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPatients often spend significant time waiting for care, which influences patient satisfaction, perceived quality, access to care, and utilization of various health care services. Waiting time and resulting implications remain understudied in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya. This study aimed to describe the impact on the perception of waiting times on patient satisfaction and care at a tertiary healthcare institution in Kenya.

methodWe conducted a prospective cross-sectional study between the first of April 2023 and the thirty-first of August 2023 at the Emergency Room (ER) at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire examining demographics and patient wait times. Descriptive statistics were summarized using frequencies and percentages, and univariate analyses using Fisher's exact test were conducted for group comparisons.

resultsA total of 941 patients participated in the study, with 52.0% being females and 53.6% in the 20-40-year age group. More than half of the patients were married (52.4%), had a university education (75.9%), and were employed (70.6%). Of the patients who took the survey, 51.1% reported waiting for 31-60 minutes, while 25.4% reported waiting for more than 60 minutes. Most patients presented to the ER on Monday, most frequently between 0800 and 1200 hrs. Most patients (70.8%) were likely to return for care and 71.7% were likely to recommend care at the ER to relatives and friends.

conclusionSpecific days and times of visits to the ER were associated with prolonged waiting times. To reduce waiting times and improve access to healthcare services, facilities should consider increasing the number of healthcare providers during these peak hours to ensure timely and quality consultations. Identifying bottlenecks and gridlocks within healthcare facilities is crucial to developing an efficient blueprint that aims to improve waiting times, leading to improved patient satisfaction and care.

Indexed as

Patient CarePatient SatisfactionWaiting ListsAdolescentAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansKenyaMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID40315218
PMCPMC12047815

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.