[In-house questioning on patient satisfaction in a maximum resource clinic--report from practice]

Since 1999, the statutory obligation of all German hospitals to establish an internal quality management system has resulted in an increase of patient surveys on inpatient care. Information on the subjective satisfaction of the patients is of particular interest because improvements may be realised. In the present paper, the objectives, the methodology and the choice of a tested survey instrument, the interpretation of the results and the practical problems in implementing a survey on patient satisfaction at the Leipzig University Hospital (a public institution comprising 1,464 beds in 2001) will be reported. This is intended to facilitate comparable projects in the future and to enable hospitals with fewer resources to organize and use such surveys. Altogether, 1,718 questionnaires (Hamburg questionnaires on patient stay in hospital, HFK) from 43 wards could be evaluated. The high satisfaction determined (mean values of the scores for 10 test parameters are between 1.72 and 2.02 on a 5-point scale) corresponds to the general tendency of patients to make socially desirable responses. Covert dissatisfaction was therefore analysed comparing the relative frequencies of complete and limited satisfaction at item level. Sociodemographic patient characteristics such as age and stay in hospital were of no substantial relevance. One important aim of the Leipzig survey project was to give detailed feedback within brief time periods. The project focussed on a differentiated and early monitoring of responses. If requested, an oral presentation of the results was made to each structural unit. This presentation included the spontaneous responses of the patient, which enhanced the acceptance of the investigation by the medical staff.