PERCEPTION OF HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AMONG DOCTORS, A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Keywords:
Healthcare system; doctors; perception; job satisfaction; workload; healthcare quality; Pakistan.Abstract
Background: Doctors’ perceptions of the healthcare system are influenced by workload, staffing, availability of resources, administrative support, remuneration, referral mechanisms, and opportunities for professional development.
Objective: To assess doctors’ perceptions of the healthcare system and determine their association with selected professional characteristics.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at The Children’s Hospital, Lahore, from January 2025 to April 2025. A total of 384 doctors were enrolled using consecutive sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, professional experience, workplace conditions, resources, administrative support, referral systems, compensation, and overall perception of the healthcare system.
Results: The mean age of participants was 32.8 ± 6.7 years, and mean professional experience was 6.4 ± 5.1 years. Overall, 142 (37.0%) doctors had a positive perception of the healthcare system, 97 (25.3%) had a neutral perception, and 145 (37.8%) had a negative perception. The greatest dissatisfaction was reported regarding salary and compensation (59.4%), staffing levels (57.0%), and workload (56.8%). In contrast, 53.6% reported a positive perception of overall patient care quality, while 46.4% were satisfied with professional training opportunities.
Conclusion: Doctors demonstrated mixed perceptions of the healthcare system, with major concerns related to compensation, staffing shortages, workload, resource availability, and administrative support.
