Health Policies Based on Patient Satisfaction: A Bibliometric Study

Area of Science:

• Health Policy Research
• Bibliometrics
• Patient Satisfaction Studies

Background:

• Healthcare decision-makers require evidence-based policies from scientific research.
• Patient satisfaction is a critical metric in evaluating healthcare services.
• Understanding research trends in patient satisfaction informs policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the research landscape of patient satisfaction as a foundation for health policies.
• To identify key players and thematic trends in patient satisfaction research.
• To analyze the evolution of research focus over time.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 621 articles published between 2000 and 2020.
• Data sourced from the Scopus database.
• Keyword analysis divided into two equal sub-periods (2000-2010 and 2011-2020).

Main Results:

• The United States is the largest producer and research co-operator in patient satisfaction and health policy.
• British authors, institutions, and journals are the most prolific.
• Scientific production in economic and management aspects of patient satisfaction is limited.
• Keywords "Human" and "Perception" were prominent, with "Perception" gaining significance in the later period.

Conclusions:

• Research on patient satisfaction provides a basis for health policy formulation.
• The US and UK are key contributors to this research field.
• There is a growing emphasis on patient perception in health policy research.
• Further research is needed in the economic and management dimensions of patient satisfaction.