Healthcare Operations Management and Patient Satisfaction in Secondary Health Facilities in Anambra State

Secondary health facilities in Anambra State, South East Nigeria, serve as a critical intermediate tier in the healthcare delivery hierarchy, yet operational inefficiencies at this level frequently result in patient dissatisfaction, adverse referral patterns, and avoidable mortality. This study examines the relationship between healthcare operations management practices and patient satisfaction scores across 15 government general hospitals in Anambra State. Structured patient exit interviews (n=420) assess satisfaction across domains including waiting time, clinical interaction quality, medication availability, ward cleanliness, and billing transparency. Simultaneously, operational audits covering appointment systems, patient flow design, staffing patterns, medical record management, and supply chain reliability are conducted at each facility. Multiple regression analysis is applied to identify operations management predictors of patient satisfaction. Findings indicate that waiting time management and medication availability are the two strongest drivers of patient satisfaction scores, jointly explaining 58 percent of variance in overall satisfaction ratings. Facilities with nurse-led triage systems and computerized medical records demonstrate significantly higher satisfaction scores. Recommendations include implementing nurse-led triage at all facilities, adopting a simple appointment scheduling protocol, and establishing facility-level pharmaceutical stock review committees. A practical operations management checklist is developed for adoption by hospital management committees. This research provides evidence-based operations improvement guidance for secondary healthcare administrators across South East Nigeria. Keywords: healthcare operations management, patient satisfaction, secondary health facilities, Anambra State, hospital efficiency