What Influences Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare Centers over Time?

We present a three-phase, qualitative study of anonymous surveys on patient satisfaction gathered from inner city, urban and rural healthcare centers (HCCs). Using statistical Factor Analysis, the data was contracted from 21 survey questions into 3 categories – Physician Satisfaction, Time Efficiency, and Availability Convenience. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our school’s 5 HCCs in juxtaposition with an outside HCC. In addition, analysis over time would inform the Directors/Physicians and Administration of results of changes made in the centers. We also aimed to identify which factors were most important to operating a successful HCC, independent of their geographical location. Among significant results we found were the following: (1) Older patients tended to be more satisfied than those who were younger, particularly in the area of Availability Convenience. (2) Those with more education were more satisfied particularly in the area of Physician Satisfaction and Time Efficiency. (3) Patients who had been with a HCC for longer periods of time rated their experience higher in all categories than those who had been with their HCC for shorter times. (4) In regard to location, Physician Satisfaction was not significantly different among inner city, urban and rural HCC, but both Availability Convenience and Time Efficiency was rated higher in urban and rural HCC than in inner city centers

Influences on Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare Centers: A Semi-Quantitative Study Over 5 Years

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of ambulatory patients\u27 satisfaction with clinic visits help improve communication and delivery of healthcare. The goal was to examine patient satisfaction in a primary care setting, identify how selected patient and physician setting and characteristics affected satisfaction, and determine if feedback provided to medical directors over time impacted patient satisfaction. METHODS: A three-phase, semi-quantitative analysis was performed using anonymous, validated patient satisfaction surveys collected from 889 ambulatory outpatients in 6 healthcare centers over 5-years. Patients\u27 responses to 21 questions were analyzed by principal components varimax rotated factor analysis. Three classifiable components emerged: Satisfaction with Physician, Availability/Convenience, and Orderly/Time. To study the effects of several independent variables (location of clinics, patients\u27 and physicians\u27 age, education level and duration at the clinic), data were subjected to multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).. RESULTS: Changes in the healthcare centers over time were not significantly related to patient satisfaction. However, location of the center did affect satisfaction. Urban patients were more satisfied with their physicians than rural, and inner city patients were less satisfied than urban or rural on Availability/Convenience and less satisfied than urban patients on Orderly/Time. How long a patient attended a center most affected satisfaction, with patients attending \u3e10 years more satisfied in all three components than those attending60 years old. Patients were significantly more satisfied with their 30-40 year-old physicians compared with those over 60. On Orderly/Time, patients were more satisfied with physicians who were in their 50\u27s than physicians \u3e60. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement in patient satisfaction includes a need for immediate, specific feedback. Although Medical Directors received feedback yearly, we found no significant changes in patient satisfaction over time. Our results suggest that, to increase satisfaction, patients with lower education, those who are sicker, and those who are new to the center likely would benefit from additional high quality interactions with their physicians

Från jord till bord 2011/2012 : From farm to folk 2011/2012

Comparisons overall and by time, location, individual HCCs vs. 3 components. (DOC 41 kb

Additional file 2: Table S4. of Influences on patient satisfaction in healthcare centers: a semi-quantitative study over 5Â years

Patient demographics vs. three factors. *refers to higher mean score; ns, not significant. (DOC 44 kb