Social services of patient discharge planning unit of Southern Philippines Medical Center : client's perspective

Abstract

Service consumer feedback is essential for improving the quality of services especially in the health care industry. This study was conceptualized to explore the client’s perspective on their experiences as stakeholders of Southern Philippines Medical Center’s (SPMC) Patient Discharge Planning Unit (PDPU). This paper gathered data from 10 subjects who consented to participate in the undertaking comprising seven males and three females from the indigenous people’s group utilizing in-depth interviews anchored from the focused questions approved by the panel of experts from the university. A phenomenological approach was structured that served as foundation of the problem development down to analysis. Based on the analysis of the data gathered, 93 core ideas where extracted based on the specific problems with seven themes emerging for patient experience, and three themes each for challenges in availing the services of the Patient Discharge Planning Unit (PDPU) and insights for the above-experienced social services. Based on the synthesis of meanings and reflections from newer sensibility extracted from the realizations of this study, overall perception of the subjects suggest that PDPU has lived to its mandate as a social service provider division of the hospital through providing satisfactory services to the poor and needy.

Keywords: public administration, social services, service satisfaction, lived experiences, Philippines