Data collection
Introduction
Data collection is part of the research work that includes the gathering of primary data from the
respondents (Sekaram and Bougle, 2009). In this case, the data required would be collected from
the daily patients who visit the hospital through the use of a questionnaire as it’s convenient and
easy to use in a hospital. The questions have been limited to only critical ones to avoid any
discomforts to patients. The population or the sample size for the survey has been determined to
be 100 (N). A group of researchers would interview the first twenty patients who leave the
hospital every day for five days. The total maximum points that can be awarded is 2500 but it
will depend on the performance of the total points achieved but the minimum points possible has
been set at 500 that’s incase all the questionnaires return a score of E or 1 point for a population
of 100 entries for five questions while the maximum represents a score of A or 5 points for 100
entries for five questions. The following is the sample of the questionnaire that would be used to
determine the Patients satisfaction levels at the hospital.
DATA COLLECTION 2
The first five questions attract no score however, points are earned from questions six to ten. The
following information was retrieved from the researchers who gathered the data from the
hospital;
The Ten days data
Question A B C D E Totals %
ratings
6 250 80 30 34 3 397 72.00
7 450 20 6 4 1 481 95.20
8 250 80 60 18 1 409 78.00
9 300 120 15 10 0 445 87.00
10 350 40 45 10 0 445 87.00
Totals 1600 340 156 76 5 2177 87.08
On question six most of the patients responded favorably towards the waiting time spent at the
hospital and majority of the answers suggested that the patients were on average very satisfied
with the average waiting time hence a rating of 72% was awarded. That’s the totals of columns
A, B and C divided by the total possible points of 500 (Sekaram and Bougle, 2009).
DATA COLLECTION 3
To ensure reliability of the information, all the questions must be answered and the percentage
scores would be pegged to the maximum scores possible to eliminate any bias against the lower
points. For example a total score of 250 if calculated against a total of 397 it would amount to
almost 90% of the totals but if calculated against the maximum possible of 500 then it would be
50%.
The hospital’s score on patient satisfaction is 87.1% which means that about 13% of the patients
are dissatisfied with the services at the hospital with about 28% being particularly unhappy with
the waiting period at the hospital while another 22% would not recommend their friends at the
hospital. However, 97% of the patients are very satisfied with the staff response at the hospital.
The central measures of tendencies and the excel functions have also been used to arrive the
summarized table above and which includes the research findings that have been arrived at after
processing the information from the primary data and tabulating the summaries.
The other methods of collecting data like observation and interviewing patients are difficult to
apply in a hospital as patients have different conditions and their convenience must also be
factored when choosing the research method to adopt.
The sample size has been calculated based on the Wald binomial distribution where 4√0.25/n=W
where a 95% confidence level is required. Hence n=1/B^2 where B is ± 10% n is 100 (0.01 x
10,000) (Bartlett, Kotrlik & Higgins, 2001).
To conclude, the hospital is providing very good service to the community and a very high
number of patients are very happy with the services being provided at the hospital hence about
87% of the patients rate the services of the hospital as being very good and would definitely
make a return visit in future.
DATA COLLECTION 4
References
Sekaram, U., Bougle, R. (2009) Research Methods for Business; A Skill Building Approach, 5 th
Edition. West Sussex, UK. John Wiley & sons.
Bartlett, J. E., Kotrlik, J. W. & Higgins, C. (2001). “Organizational research: Determining
appropriate sample size for survey research” . Information Technology, Learning, and
Performance Journal 19 (1): 43–50.
