Sex Disparities in Patient Satisfaction in Cardiac Surgery Patients.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Health Services Research
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Sex differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) diagnosis and management are known.
• Limited research exists on sex-based impacts on patient perception and satisfaction with cardiovascular care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential sex-based disparities in patient experiences.
• To evaluate patient satisfaction with postoperative care after cardiac surgery.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data.
• Compared responses from male and female patients undergoing open cardiac surgery.
• Employed propensity-score matching based on age, race, and operation type.

Main Results:

• Female patients reported lower overall hospital rankings compared to male patients (P=.005).
• Females reported lower scores for room cleanliness (P=.02), staff collaboration (P=.01), and discharge health education (P=.02).

Conclusions:

• Significant sex-based disparities exist in patient satisfaction after cardiac surgery.
• Female patients report worse postoperative care experiences than male patients.