[Evaluation of patients' satisfaction in relation to private or public health care providers]

The aim of the study was to evaluate of patients satisfaction in relation to private or public health care provider in the Warsaw's (capital of Poland) region. The authors have used original (partially psychometric test) tool named "Skala AB". 590 adult patients were randomly chosen from 20 private and public owned clinics and hospitals. Main outcome of the study was that patients of private owned clinics (but working on contract with general health insurance system) are much more satisfied from the services provided by these clinics than patients treated by local government-owned clinics. In general patients treated in hospitals were more satisfied than patients treated in clinics. Comparison of more detailed determinants of satisfaction, has shown that all health service facilities in study region, in their practices do not consider the "concentration on real needs of patients" as a serious matter and this is the reason of patients dissatisfaction. Level of satisfaction from the services provided by health care facilities did not correlate with gender or age of the respondents. In opposite, the (higher) level of education and place of living (in a big city) have negatively correlated with patients satisfaction. The tool ("Skala AB") used in this survey was found very convenient for evaluation of the patients satisfaction of services provided by health care facilities.