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Outpatient experiences in acute hospitals
C De Brún1, F Howell, D Bedford
1Department of Public Health, North Eastern Health Board, Navan, Co Meath, Ireland.
Irish Journal of Medical Science
|August 14, 2002
Summary
Patient satisfaction with outpatient services is high, with 94% of attendees reporting positive experiences. Key factors influencing satisfaction include staff interaction, involvement in care decisions, and waiting times, highlighting areas for service improvement.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Quality
- Patient Experience Research
- Health Services Management
Background:
- Patient satisfaction surveys are crucial for understanding patient needs and perceptions of healthcare services.
- Assessing patient views on service quality is essential for healthcare improvement initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the perspectives of outpatient department (OPD) attendees regarding the quality of care they received.
- To identify specific aspects of OPD services that contribute to overall patient satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- A confidential postal questionnaire was administered to randomly selected attendees from four acute hospitals.
- Data from 3,037 attendees were analyzed, achieving a response rate of 75.7%.
Main Results:
- Overall patient satisfaction was high, reported by 94% of respondents.
- Doctors and nurses were perceived positively regarding friendliness (61%, 72%) and professionalism (44%, 30%).
- Logistic regression identified older age, male gender, no pain, desire for more involvement in care, and satisfaction with waiting times as significant predictors of overall satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- Despite high overall satisfaction with outpatient care quality, specific areas for enhancement were identified from the patient's viewpoint.
- Addressing factors like staff communication, patient engagement, and waiting time management can further improve the patient experience in outpatient departments.