Parental Satisfaction with Pediatric Day-Care Surgery and its Determinants in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Healthcare Quality Assessment
• Patient Satisfaction Studies

Background:

• Pediatric day-care surgery offers a convenient alternative to inpatient procedures.
• Assessing parental satisfaction is crucial for evaluating the quality of pediatric surgical care.
• Understanding determinants of satisfaction can guide service improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate parental satisfaction levels with pediatric day-care surgery.
• To identify key factors influencing parental satisfaction in this setting.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study was conducted in an Indian tertiary care hospital from June 2013 to March 2015.
• The Core Questionnaire for the Assessment of Patient Satisfaction for General Day Care (COPS-D) was utilized.
• Data included satisfaction scores across eight domains, overall satisfaction, and socio-demographic information from 121 parents.

Main Results:

• High mean satisfaction scores were observed across all eight COPS-D domains, with medical care (4.89) and operating room (4.76) scoring highest.
• Overall satisfaction was good in 88% of cases.
• Lower satisfaction was noted in the information and discharge domains for parents of older children, and when significant pain was experienced.

Conclusions:

• Parental perception of pediatric day-care surgery quality is positive.
• Pain management is a critical factor affecting overall satisfaction.
• Future satisfaction assessments should incorporate surgical variables like pain.