Inpatient Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction in Relation to Socio-demographics and Utilization Characteristics

Cho, Sung Hyun

Abstract

PURPOSE: This paper reports a study exploring factors related to patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction with inpatient care. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design was used, employing data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey conducted in 2001. Socio-demographic factors, utilization, self-rated health status, and disease characteristics were assessed by employing univariate comparisons and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULT: Out of 37,769 respondents, 1,043 aged 20 years and over had been admitted to a hospital or clinic at least once during the past year. About a quarter of the respondents were discharged from tertiary hospitals and 21% from clinics. The majority of patients (58%) were satisfied with inpatient care received, whereas 11% were dissatisfied. Greater satisfaction was found in patients aged 45-64 years and those having formal education, discharge from tertiary hospitals, national health insurance as a payer, medical expenses not being burdensome, good self-rated health status, and neoplasm. Living in non-metropolitan urban areas, shorter length of stay, and musculoskeletal diseases were associated with greater dissatisfaction. CONCLUSION: Different factors were related to patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction with care. Those factors need to be taken into account when evaluating and comparing satisfaction levels between health care institutions.