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Reduced patient demands in hospitals and their determinants
Petra Steffen1, Oliver Ommen, Holger Pfaff
1Department of Medical Sociology, Institute and Polyclinic for Occupational and Social Medicine, University of Cologne, Eupener Strasse 129, 50933 Cologne, Germany. petra.steffen@uk-koeln.de
Insights
Fewer patients than expected suppressed demands during hospital stays. This reduction is linked to excusing hospital inconveniences, influenced by the patient role concept and hospital experiences.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Experience Research
- Sociology of Health
Background:
- Understanding patient behavior is crucial for improving hospital care.
- Patient demand suppression can mask unmet needs and affect care quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the extent of suppressed patient demands during hospital stays.
- To identify key factors influencing patients' reduction of demands.
Main Methods:
- A postal survey using the Cologne Patient Questionnaire (CPQ) was administered to 1,548 patients.
- Data were collected from 855 respondents (55.2% response rate) from three German hospitals.
Main Results:
- Less than half of surveyed patients suppressed their needs or reduced demands.
- Reduced patient demands are primarily linked to a tendency to excuse hospital inconveniences, associated with traditional patient role concepts.
- Hospital services and stay-related factors also influence demand reduction.
Conclusions:
- The study found lower-than-anticipated demand suppression among hospital patients.
- Patient "tendency to excuse" and their perception of the patient role significantly impact demand reduction, alongside hospital experiences.
- Considering reduced patient demands is vital for patient-centered hospital care and accurate stay evaluations.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent to which patients have suppressed their demands during their hospital stay and to examine the factors that determine this reduction in demands.
Methods:
The data, which provided the basis for this study, were obtained from a postal survey utilizing the Cologne Patient Questionnaire (CPQ) that was sent to 1,548 patients who had been treated in 1 of 3 hospitals in Germany. The survey itself was conducted within the scope of the research project entitled "Organizational Governance Using Biopsychosocial Codes" (U-BIKE-Studie).
Results:
Eight hundred fifty-five patients completed and returned the questionnaire (55.2% response rate). Descriptive analyses showed that less than one-half of the patients surveyed had suppressed their needs and reduced their demands during their hospital stay. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that "reduced patient demands" in hospitals are primarily determined by a general tendency on the part of patients to excuse errors and inconvience arising during the hospital stay, a tendency that is strongly associated with the (traditional) concept of the patient role. These analyses also demonstrated that such a reduction is also determined by hospital services and hospital stay-related aspects.
Conclusions:
The analyses of this study revealed that fewer patients than initially expected had indeed reduced their demands during their hospital stay. Apart from the patient's experiences during their most recent hospital stay, this reduction in demands depends primarily on the patient's "tendency to excuse" and thus on the concept of the patient's role. Taking the concept of "reduced patient demands" in hospitals into consideration can help make the hospital stay more patient-oriented and ensure that the evaluation and interpretation of the hospital stay will be interpreted in light of the concept of the patient role.
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