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Evaluating Health Service Users’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Health Care Services in New Zealand: A Qualitative Study of Kurdish Immigrants

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Thesis(4.32 MB)

Date

2023

Authors

Supervisor

Mpofu, Charles
Wepa, Dianne

Item type

Degree name

Doctor of Philosophy

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Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

Background: The relationship between health care quality and service users’ satisfaction has gained considerable attention in many countries, including New Zealand. It is essential to comprehend the concept of quality across all sectors, including health as it plays a significant role in fulfilling the needs of services users. This research evaluated health care users’ satisfaction with the quality of health care services in New Zealand by utilising Donabedian’s model of Structure, Process and Outcomes. Donabedian's model facilitated a comprehensive analysis aiming to identify distinct aspects of health care quality in New Zealand. Method: This study utilised a qualitative descriptive methodology to explore the quality of health care services in New Zealand for Kurdish immigrants. To generate new and exploratory data, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 20 Kurdish immigrants who used health care services in New Zealand within the past 10 years. Data collection occurred place between February and April of 2022 and participants were selected from various regions in New Zealand, with ages ranging from 21 to 67 years. Semi-structured interview questions, adapted to reflect Donabedian's model of quality of care, were used to collect data. The collected data were analysed using NVivo Software and Braun and Clarke (2006) thematic analysis. Results: The results of this study produced four key themes and eight sub-themes that shed light on Kurdish health care users’ satisfaction with the quality of health care services in New Zealand. Among the themes, participants emphasised the barriers to accessing health care services, which included both external and internal barriers. External barriers such as COVID-19 protocols, discrimination, the shortage of doctors, and the lack of follow-up health care users’ health issues and access were identified as major challenges to accessing health care services in New Zealand. Participants also identified other barriers, including language issues, lack of health education and cultural aspects, that hindered their full access to health care services. Additionally, participants described the health care settings’ structures and procedures as key dimensions that impacted their satisfaction with the quality of health care services. Participants acknowledged that the physical and psychological aspects of health care provider's environment had an impact on their health and well-being. Furthermore, participants expressed satisfaction with the quality of confidentiality services delivered. Kurdish health care users indicated that health care providers were serious about keeping the health issues of health care users confidential. Participants also highlighted the polite and respectful behaviour of the health care settings staff. Conclusion: This research represented a novel contribution to the understanding of Kurdish immigrants’ perspectives on the New Zealand health care system. The results of the study showed that participants viewed some aspects of health care delivery positively, such as the politeness of staff, ongoing renovation, punctuality of emergency response teams, documentation, confidentiality of health records and attractiveness of children's rooms. However, the study also highlighted areas in need of improvement, particularly the waiting halls, which should focus on the provision of a clean environment, discrimination-free and interpretation services. The findings of this study provided valuable insights that can inform efforts to improve the quality of health care services for other immigrant populations in New Zealand, contributing to the successful integration of immigrants into New Zealand society.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10292/16793

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Doctoral Theses