Patient care encounters with the MCHL: a questionnaire study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Research
• Patient Experience

Background:

• The Medical Care Help Line (MCHL) is an expanding healthcare service, handling approximately 5 million calls annually in Sweden.
• MCHL services are delivered by specially trained nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how patient demographics (sex, age, education) and care level affect their perceptions of MCHL encounters.
• To identify key factors influencing patient satisfaction with telephone triage services.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire with 14 visual analogue scales (VAS) was developed based on prior interview data.
• The questionnaire demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability through pilot testing and factor analysis.
• Data were collected from 858 callers in southwest Sweden, with a response rate of 60.4% (n=517).

Main Results:

• Three primary factors emerged: interaction, service, and product, correlating with high MCHL satisfaction.
• Elements like 'friendliness', 'respect', 'confirmation', 'accessibility', and 'simplicity' received the highest ratings.
• Conversely, 'joint decision-making', 'composure', and 'time' were rated lowest by callers.

Conclusions:

• A validated questionnaire for assessing patient encounters with MCHL was developed.
• This tool can aid in the education of MCHL nurses and support quality improvement initiatives in telephone nursing.
• Findings provide a basis for further research into telephone nursing and patient-centered care.