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. 2018 Jun 28;5(4):377-382.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2018.06.006. eCollection 2018 Oct 10.

A mixed method analysis of patients' complaints: Underpinnings of theory-guided strategies to improve quality of care

Holly Wei  1 , Yan Ming  2 , Hong Cheng  2 , Hui Bian  3 , Jie Ming  2 , Trent L Wei  4
Affiliations

A mixed method analysis of patients' complaints: Underpinnings of theory-guided strategies to improve quality of care

Holly Wei et al. Int J Nurs Sci. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Purpose: Patients' complaints can be predictors of patient care quality and safety. Understanding patients' complaints could help healthcare organizations target the areas for improvements. The purpose of this study is to use a mixed method analysis to a) examine the characteristics and categories of patients' complaints, b) explore the relationships of patients' complaints with professions and units, and c) propose theory-based strategies to improve care quality.

Methods: This is a descriptive mixed method study. Data examined are patients' complaints filed at a university-affiliated hospital in China from January 2016 to December 2017. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to categorize complaints. A TwoStep cluster analysis was performed to provide an overall profile of patients' complaints. Chi-Square tests were conducted to investigate the relationships among complaints, professions, and units.

Results: 838 complaints were filed, with 821 valid cases for analysis. Six categories surfaced from the qualitative analysis: uncaring attitudes, unsatisfactory quality of treatment or competence, communication problems, the process of care, fees and billing issues, and other miscellaneous causes. Physicians received most of the complaints (56.6%). The unit receiving the most complaints were outpatient clinics and medical support units (52.7%). The cluster analysis indicated four distinct clusters. Significant relationships existed between complaints and professions (χ 2 (20) = 178.82, P < 0.01), and between complaints and units (χ 2 (15) = 42.72, P < 0.01).

Conclusions: Patients' complaints are valuable sources for quality improvements. Healthcare providers should be not only scientifically knowledgeable, but also humanistic caring. Caring-based theories may provide guidance in clinical practice.

Keywords: Patient complaints; Patient safety; Quality improvements; Quality of health care.

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