THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS AND WAITING TIME FOR LABORATORY RESULTS WITH OUTPATIENT SATISFACTION AT DR. H. ABDUL MOELOEK GENERAL HOSPITAL LAMPUNG

Background: Patient satisfaction is an important indicator in assessing the quality of healthcare services, including clinical laboratory services. Outpatients often demand fast, accurate services, so patient characteristics and the waiting time for laboratory test results are thought to play a role in determining patient satisfaction. This study aims to determine the relationship between patient characteristics (age, gender, highest level of education, occupation) and waiting time for laboratory test results with outpatient satisfaction at Dr. H. Abdul Moeloek General Hospital Lampung. Methods: This study used a quantitative, cross-sectional analytical design on 107 outpatients who underwent laboratory tests using consecutive sampling according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patient characteristics and satisfaction data were collected via questionnaires, while waiting time data were collected via TAT. Univariate data analysis consisted of frequency distributions and percentages, while bivariate testing used the Chi-Square test. Results: There was a significant relationship between age, the highest level of education, and waiting time for laboratory service results with outpatient satisfaction (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, gender (p = 0.836) and occupation (p = 0.688) did not show a significant relationship with patient satisfaction. Conclusions: Outpatient satisfaction at Dr. H. Abdul Moeloek General Hospital Lampung is associated with age, the highest level of education, and waiting time for laboratory results. Therefore, the hospital is expected to continue improving the efficiency of laboratory services and reduce waiting times, while paying attention to patient characteristics to increase patient satisfaction. Keywords: patient satisfaction, patient characteristics, waiting time, laboratory services, outpatients