Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jan 27;21(2):391-403.
doi: 10.5811/westjem.2019.9.44667.

Predictors of Patient Satisfaction and the Perceived Quality of Healthcare in an Emergency Department in Portugal

Alina Abidova  1 , Pedro Alcântara da Silva  2 , Sérgio Moreira  3
Affiliations

Predictors of Patient Satisfaction and the Perceived Quality of Healthcare in an Emergency Department in Portugal

Alina Abidova et al. West J Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Introduction: The predictors of patient satisfaction in emergency medicine (EM) have been widely studied and discussed in the scientific literature; the results vary depending on the specific EM attributes, cultural aspects, researchers' preferences, and approaches. However, it is not clear whether the same predictors of patient satisfaction can contribute to a better-perceived quality of healthcare or whether patients' perceptions form a different attitude toward satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare. The goal of this study was to identify the key predictors of patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare in the framework of an emergency department (ED).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients seen at an ED between January -December 2016. Data collection took place in the public hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, between May - November 2017. The total sample size included 382 patients. The sample distribution had a 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval. Data for this research, using a questionnaire, was collected by mail or e-mail according to the respondent's preference.

Results: A detailed analysis showed that three out of the 18 predictors had a statistically significant relationship with satisfaction: overall satisfaction with doctors, with a positive correlation (r = 0.14, p ≤ 0.01); qualitative perceived waiting time for triage, with a positive correlation (r = 0.08, p ≤ 0.05); and meeting expectations, with a positive correlation (r = 0.53, p ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, a detailed analysis showed that only two out of the 18 predictors had a statistically significant relationship with the perceived quality of healthcare (PQHC): overall satisfaction with doctors, with a positive correlation (r = 0.43, p ≤ 0.01) and meeting expectations, with a positive correlation (r = 0.26, p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion: The main predictors of satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare were overall satisfaction with doctors and meeting expectations. We should note that "meeting expectations" plays the most important role in terms of satisfaction; however, in terms of PQHC the predictor "overall satisfaction with doctors" plays the most important role due to its stronger correlation. In addition, the qualitative perceived waiting time for triage could be considered as another predictor, influencing satisfaction only, thus emphasizing similarities and differences between satisfaction and the PQHC in an ED context.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the WestJEM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. No author has professional or financial relationships with any companies that are relevant to this study. There are no conflicts of interest or sources of funding to declare.

References

    1. Mohanan K, Kaur S, Das K, et al. Patient satisfaction regarding nursing care at emergency outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital. J Mental Health Hum Behav. 2010;15(1):54–8.
    1. Torres A. The business of healthcare: how patient satisfaction plays a role. ACOEP-RSO. 2017. [Accessed June 19, 2019]. Available at: https://www.acoep-rso.org/the-fast-track/the-business-of-healthcare-how-...
    1. Kihlgren AL, Nilsson M, Skovdahl K, et al. Older patients awaiting emergency department treatment. Scand J Caring Sci. 2004;18(2):169–76. - PubMed
    1. Nyden K, Petersson M, Nyström M. Unsatisfied basic needs of older patients in emergency care environments–obstacles to an active role in decision making. J Clin Nurs. 2003;12(2):268–74. - PubMed
    1. Stuart PJ, Parker S, Rogers M. Giving a voice to the community: a qualitative study of consumer expectations for the emergency department. Emerg Med (Fremantle) 2003;15(4):369–75. - PubMed