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Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Assessment
• Patient Experience Research
• Hospital Management

Context:

• Evaluation of patient-reported quality changes in a new hospital over a five-year period.
• Utilizes opinion surveys, written complaints, and demands for accountability to assess patient expectations.
• Establishes a baseline from a 2001 survey and tracks annual changes.

Purpose:

• To assess patient perspectives on hospital quality over time.
• To identify specific areas of patient dissatisfaction and their underlying causes.
• To inform hospital management on necessary improvements to meet patient expectations.

Summary:

• Over five years, 821 surveys, 3,756 complaints, and 105 accountability demands were analyzed.
• Patient satisfaction remained high at 96%, but significant differences emerged in comfort and response capacity.
• Common complaints involved medical transport, care delays, and waiting lists; accountability demands often related to adverse outcomes and potential malpractice.

Impact:

• Patient opinions showed a slight negative trend, linked to rising expectations.
• Complaints and accountability demands highlighted distinct issues, with some overlap in areas like emergency services and comfort.
• Findings indicate a need for enhanced efforts in emergency care and improvements in patient comfort, which are readily achievable.