Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107058

Hediye Seval Akgün, Professor¹, Gamze Günes, Quality speciali², Ahu Gungor, Quality spec¹, and Rengin Erdal, Professor³. (1) Baskent University Hospitals Network, 12.street.7/9, Bahcelievler, Ankara, 06490, Turkey, 00-90-312-2120434, sevala@baskent-ank.edu.tr, (2) Quality Department, Baskent University Hospitals Network, 12. street. 7/9 bahcelievler, Ankara, 06490, Turkey, (3) Public Health Department, Baskent University, School of Medicine, 1.Cadde, no:77 Bahcelievler, Ankara, 06490, Turkey

Patient satisfaction surveys are considered useful tools for identifying service quality problems. This paper presents the findings of systematic assessments and measurements derived from surveys of 3199 interviews that have been carried out at Baskent University Hospitals Network outpatient clinics in Turkey during the years 1999-2004. Quantitative and qualitative interviewing techniques were the main methods used to conduct these studies. To examine the relationship between satisfaction levels of our research population from clinical services, we chose to focus on overall satisfaction scores of physician and nursing care. In our study of all those surveyed at outpatient clinics, 1.5% found the overall services provided by the physicians unsatisfactory while this rate was determined as 5.1% in nursing care. 54.2 % of study population was female, 45.8 % were male and we found a statistically significant relationship between gender and overall satisfaction scores from both physician and nursing care. Males were found to be less satisfied from our physician and nursing cares than women. The level of education was the other demographic factor and the level of satisfaction from physician and nursing care decreased as the level of education rose. Spearman correlation analysis was used in order to identify the issues correlated with the overall satisfaction from physician and nursing care. The response to concerns/complaints and physician attention was determined as having the highest correlation coefficient (r= 0,924), while friendliness/courtesy of the physician scored (r= 0,814), provision of information achieved (r= 0.809) and the explanation of the physicians about what would happen during test/treatment recorded (r= 0,574) respectively. The items correlated with overall satisfaction from nursing care were listed as follows; adequacy of info about the illness/tests (r=0,928), friendliness/courtesy of the nurses (r=0,823) and information given to the patients about home care (r=0,797).

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the importance and methodology of patient satisfaction surveys which are considered useful tools for identifying service quality problems at health care facilities

Keywords: Patient Satisfaction, Quality Improvement

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.