Inpatient Care Service Experience Among Adult Patients Admitted to Arba Minch General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: Institution-Based Qualitative Study

Acknowledging patients' experience with the care delivered in healthcare settings is crucial in ensuring the quality of healthcare service delivery. In Ethiopia, qualitative evidence of patients’ experience with inpatient care services is limited. This study aimed to explore the experience of inpatient care service among adult patients admitted to Arba Minch General hospital, Southern Ethiopia from April 05-28, 2020. An institution-based qualitative approach was carried out among adult patients discharged from the study hospital. Thirty-one in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were conducted and audio-recorded data were transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Data were coded, sorted, and themes were developed manually based on the thematic analysis. This study showed that kindness, respecting appointments, and treatment outcomes were the positive experiences highlighted by study participants. Participants reported a lack of drinking water, unpleasant toilet hygiene, lack of bedsheets, and absence of drugs as negative experiences. Therefore, the hospital administration should work on improving the problems mentioned by the participants of this study.