Opinion of patients on accessibility of primary health care centers in Siauliai region.

This article presents the data about the accessibility of primary health care in Siauliai region and about factors related to the patients' perceived access to primary care. The survey was carried out in June 2004, in the context of a joint project of Kaunas University of Medicine and NIVEL, the Netherlands Institute of Health services research. Patients, treated in private and public health care centers in Siauliai region, took part in this survey. The majority of patients are positive about territorial accessibility of primary health care, indicating that it is easy to get to primary health care centers. Patients expressed a high level of satisfaction with the behavior of reception desk personnel. However, they are more critical about waiting time for the general practitioner's consultation: every third noted that they had to wait for far too long. The majority of respondents pointed out that general practitioners rooms and waiting corridors are convenient and comfortable, and that general practitioners have sufficient medical equipment. Most of the patients are very well informed and satisfied with the opening hours of primary health care centers. The main factors related to the patients' evaluations of primary health care accessibility were living place of patients and type of ownership of health care center. Patients living in the towns were less likely to evaluate the accessibility of primary health care centers positively, compared to those living in the city of Siauliai. Patients receiving health care services in private centers were much more positive about access to services than those receiving services in public centers.