Since patient satisfaction has been accepted as an important indicator in evaluating the quality of medical care, especially in the last two decades, there is an increasing interest in the perceptions of patients about the health service provided.
In terms of modern hospital management, it is necessary to define the factors affecting the satisfaction of the patients in a more reliable and clear conceptual framework, as the effective and efficient use of hospital resources as well as the quality of the service provided, and the areas that can be intervened organizationally should be revealed.
Patient satisfaction is a complex concept influenced by various factors and is one of the most important indicators of quality patient care.
Since the theories explaining patient satisfaction are not sufficient, patient satisfaction is generally based on whether the service provided meets the expectations of the patient or the patient’s perception of the service provided.
For this reason, it is emphasized in the literature that patient expectations and patient-nurse cooperation constitute the basis of patient satisfaction. In studies on patient satisfaction, it has been determined that the focus of this association is communication and informing the patient.
Patients enter the healthcare system with their various individual characteristics, attitudes and previous experiences. In addition to these characteristics, the patient’s expectations about nursing care are also influenced by the information obtained from relatives, friends, written and verbal media.
However, the patient’s expectations may change depending mostly on their experience in healthcare. This is because individuals who were previously hospitalized interact with healthcare providers in the meantime. The information they gain as a result of this interaction determines their expectations.
These expectations affect whether they are satisfied with the care they receive during their subsequent hospitalization or not. Individuals who have not been hospitalized before, on the other hand, may have limited expectations since they have not interacted in such a way.
Interest in the quality of care has grown steadily in recent years. The majority of health establishments place it at the heart of their priorities, in particular with the creation of care networks where patients are actors in their care.
There are many reasons for this: the constant and rapid evolution of medicine thanks to scientific progress, more and more claims concerning accessibility as well as the quality of care and new technologies, while requiring guarantees of safety.
All these reasons lead to the feeling of satisfaction expressed by the patient being taken into account. They gain all the more weight, in the context of the greater degree of information that people have about diseases and the possibilities for treatment or prevention available.
According to the providers of hospital consultancy in India, measuring patient satisfaction is a general concern of all healthcare establishments today. It is a source of information for improving the quality of care.
Several aspects of dissatisfaction can be noted concerning the identification of health personnel, communication, noise level and catering. These aspects can be significantly improved if corrective action is taken.
The diversity of people hospitalized and their journey generates expectations that are difficult to express. The notion of satisfaction therefore remains subjective and relative, and this problem can be solved with the help of top hospital consulting firms in India.
Uncommon in our context, it is increasingly being evaluated in Western countries with common and validated tools. Satisfaction surveys are therefore an important aspect that our hospitals must include for a quality approach.
