Reporting Inpatients' Experiences and Satisfaction in a National Psychiatric Facility: A Study Based on the Random...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience Research
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Understanding psychiatric inpatients' experiences is crucial for patient-centric care and building healthcare trust.
• Evaluating patient experiences informs service improvement and satisfaction levels.
• Previous research indicates a link between patient experiences and healthcare outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nine dimensions of psychiatric inpatients' experiences.
• To investigate the association between patient experiences, satisfaction, revisit intention, and word-of-mouth (WoM) recommendations.
• To identify factors influencing patient satisfaction and revisit intention in a psychiatric hospital setting.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey data collected over five years (2016-2020) from 763 psychiatric inpatients.
• Statistical analysis of questionnaire data, including correlation and Random Forest algorithm.
• Evaluation of nine dimensions of patient experience, satisfaction, revisit intention, and WoM.

Main Results:

• Overall patient satisfaction was consistently "very high" (4.75 ± 0.44) across the study period, with no significant year-to-year differences.
• Confidentiality received the highest experience rating (4.72 ± 0.45).
• Ease of access, hospitality, and responsiveness significantly correlated with revisit intention (p < 0.05). High satisfaction was linked to revisit intention (r=0.08, p=0.027) and WoM (r=0.08, p=0.033). Men reported less convenient access than women. Random Forest analysis suggested female patients with short stays may have lower satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Psychiatric inpatients report high overall satisfaction, with specific experiences like confidentiality, access, hospitality, and responsiveness significantly impacting revisit intention and positive recommendations.
• While overall satisfaction is high, gender and length of stay may influence patient experiences, necessitating targeted interventions.
• The study underscores the importance of a patient-centric approach in psychiatric care to foster trust and improve healthcare outcomes.