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Psychometric assessment and application of a questionnaire measuring patient: satisfaction with information on cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Pharmaceutical care follows a needs-based approach. Cancer patients form a group with particular needs. Information about cancer treatment plays an important role in terms of coping strategies, initiation of self-care behaviour, and quality of life. In order to develop pharmaceutical care strategies for cancer patients, it is important to assess patients' information needs. This survey aims at providing a suitable instrument to measure patient satisfaction with information on cancer treatment and to reveal the present situation in Germany. METHODS: Since there was no suitable German measure available, the Canadian 'Patient Satisfaction with Cancer Treatment Education (PS-CaTE) questionnaire' was translated into German and its test quality criteria were examined. Selected socio-demographic variables were added to the original version of the questionnaire to facilitate subgroup analysis. A pre-test was performed to assess the reliability of the adapted instrument. The questionnaire was distributed among patients of cooperating hospitals, oncology practices, and self-aid groups over Germany. RESULTS: The pre-test established a good reliability of the instrument. In the main survey, overall satisfaction, on a 5-point Likert scale, showed a median score of 3.5, where 5 represented the highest degree of satisfaction. A subscale analysis revealed that satisfaction with information provided on adverse events and complementary treatment options was lower compared to the information provided on cancer treatment. A stepwise multiple-regression analysis identified three significant predictors of satisfaction: a) diagnosis of a mammary carcinoma; b) recent diagnosis; and c) treatment by a primary-care oncologist. Patients with a mammary carcinoma and patients treated by a primary-care oncologist were less satisfied, and patients with a recent diagnosis were more satisfied compared to other patients. In comparison to other information sources, pharmacists still seem to play a minor role as a source of information for patients. CONCLUSIONS: The version of the questionnaire with a total of 14 items seems to be suitable for measuring patient satisfaction with information. Additional research is needed to further verify the validity of the instrument. The questionnaire may help pharmaceutical-care providers to develop needs-based information strategies. The assessment of patient satisfaction can contribute to the outcome evaluation of pharmaceutical care. The fact that pharmacists are not yet being recognised by most patients as a source of information should support an intensified and more active offer of care by the pharmacist.

Female↗

Convergence and divergence: assessing criteria of consumer satisfaction across general practice, dental and hospital care settings.

This paper describes the results of the first-stage of a study carried out in the spring of 1988 in the South East of England. The study looked at general and specific aspects of consumer satisfaction with general practitioner services, general dental care services and hospital in-patients care. It also examined which specific consumer criteria were the key predictors of overall satisfaction within each of these particular medical care settings. A related aim was to assess the degree of congruence or divergence of consumer criteria across these differing medical care settings. The evidence suggests that whilst general levels of consumer satisfaction are high (i.e. 83-97%), questions of a more detailed and specific nature revealed greater levels of expressed dissatisfaction (e.g. 38% of the sample felt that they could not discuss personal problems with their GP, 51% felt their dentist was not easy to reach at weekends/holidays, whilst 35% felt hospital doctors did not give sufficient information). Whilst different areas of dissatisfaction were found in each specific medical care setting examined, what was particularly striking was the degree of convergence of the key predictors of overall consumer satisfaction across the medical care settings. That is to say, our findings clearly suggest that issues concerning 'professional competence', together with the nature and quality of the patient-professional relationship, are the key predictors of overall consumer satisfaction with general practice, dental and hospital care [e.g. GP giving sufficient information correlated 0.64 (P less than 0.001) with overall GP satisfaction scores; competent dentist 0.52 (P less than 0.001) with overall dental satisfaction scores; and full confidence in hospital doctors 0.49 (P less than 0.001) with overall hospital satisfaction scores]. The theoretical importance and policy implications of these findings, particularly in the light of the recent NHS reforms, are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Older patient satisfaction with communication during an initial medical encounter.

There has been extensive research on the factors associated with patient satisfaction with communication during medical encounters, however, little attention has been paid to satisfaction among subgroups of patients, including the elderly. It is inappropriate to assume that all patients have the same physician-patient relationship needs, and thus, they will all be satisfied with the same communication approaches during medical visits. In this study, we examine the interactional correlates of older patient satisfaction with an initial visit with a general internist. A multidisciplinary team composed of social scientists and physicians used the Multi-dimensional Interaction Analysis system to code audiotapes. Patients and physicians completed post-visit satisfaction questionnaires. Older patient satisfaction was positively correlated with the following variables: physician questioning and supportiveness on patient-raised topics; patient information-giving on patient-raised topics; the length of the visit; the physician's use of questions worded in the negative; shared laughter between the physician and the patient; and physician satisfaction. These findings suggest that older patients prefer encounters in which: (1) there is physician supportiveness and shared laughter; (2) they are questioned about and given an opportunity to provide information on their own agenda items; and (3) physicians provide some structure for the first meeting through their use of questions worded in the negative. The authors caution that although this sample of older patients appears to be satisfied with a communication style usually considered characteristic of the traditional model of the physician-patient relationship (i.e. a warm interpersonal style and physician-generated structure for the visit), older patients in other settings and future cohorts of elderly patients may prefer other communication approaches. It is also suggested that aspects of communication which provide satisfaction to patients in first visits may be different than aspects of communication associated with patient satisfaction in follow-up visits.

Adult↗

Correlates of health care satisfaction in inner-city patients with hypertension and chronic renal insufficiency.

Barriers to effective health care are potential contributors to the increased prevalence of hypertension and hypertension-related renal disease observed in black patients. We have enrolled 333 primarily elderly (mean age 69 years) black (87%) patients with hypertension and chronic renal insufficiency into a prospective randomized trial testing the effect of intense multidisciplinary management on progression of chronic renal insufficiency. These patients have an average 6 years of education and $400-$800 monthly household income: 57% have diabetes. Our baseline data include the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire administered by home interviewers who also recorded sociodemographic data, medications and questionnaires regarding medication compliance and symptoms related to anti-hypertensive drugs. Inpatient and outpatient vital signs, test results and diagnoses came from patients' computerized medical records. We used multiple linear regression to identify correlates of overall satisfaction. We also analyzed three subscales: access to care, financial aspects and interpersonal manner of physicians. We included only variables with univariate correlations (P < 0.05) in the models. Decreased overall satisfaction correlated with more symptoms related to anti-hypertensive drugs (P < 0.001), lower medication compliance (P = 0.01), and higher diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.08). Decreased satisfaction with access to care correlated with more symptoms related to anti-hypertensive drugs (P < 0.001) and decreased medication compliance (P = 0.08). Decreased satisfaction with financial aspects of care correlated with more symptoms related to anti-hypertensive drugs (P < 0.001), lower medication compliance (P = 0.01) and more proteinuria (P = 0.02). Finally, decreased satisfaction with interpersonal manner of physicians correlated with lower medication compliance (P < 0.001), lower albumin (P = 0.01) and sodium (P = 0.04), and higher diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.04). These cross-sectional baseline data describe a group of mostly black inner-city patients with hypertension and chronic renal insufficiency in whom decreased satisfaction with care correlates with decreased medication compliance, increased symptoms related to anti-hypertensive drug therapy, higher diastolic blood pressure and more proteinuria. Our prospective study may help determine whether improving satisfaction improves compliance and blood pressure control, and forestalls complications in this high-risk population.

Aged↗

A patient education intervention does not improve satisfaction with emergency care.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We determine whether a patient education intervention based on a previously validated model increases satisfaction with emergency department (ED) care. METHODS: A single-page patient education form was distributed on alternating 2-week time blocks for 8 weeks at the triage desk of a single academic ED. Alert, discharged patients were administered an exit interview assessing satisfaction on a 5-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes included patient satisfaction measured on a bivariate scale, willingness to return, and process of care indicators previously demonstrated to be associated with satisfaction. Exclusion criteria included air or ground transport to the ED, inability to speak English or Spanish, and refusal to participate. Differences in patient satisfaction and other outcomes were adjusted for predefined covariates, including age, sex, triage severity, race, language, location in ED, total ED length of stay, and time to room, using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 1,934 patients discharged during study periods, 1,233 (64%) were approached and 860 (44%) were enrolled. There were no important covariate differences between the control and intervention groups. There was no important correlation between intervention and patient satisfaction on univariate (odds ratio [OR] 0.840; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.650 to 1.086) and multivariate analysis (OR 0.874; 95% CI 0.672 to 1.136). There were no important correlations between the intervention and secondary outcomes on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: A triage-based, patient education intervention did not significantly improve patient satisfaction or performance on predictors of satisfaction at the study site.

Academic Medical Centers↗

Developing an efficient model to select emergency department patient satisfaction improvement strategies.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Patient satisfaction is an important performance measure for emergency departments (EDs), but the most efficient ways of improving satisfaction are unclear. This study uses optimization techniques to identify the best possible combination of predictors of overall patient satisfaction to help guide improvement efforts. METHODS: The results of a satisfaction survey from 20,500 patients who visited 123 EDs were used to develop ordinal logistic regression models for overall quality of care, overall medical treatment, willingness to recommend the ED to others, and willingness to return to the same ED. Originally, 68,981 surveys were mailed, and 20,916 were returned, representing an overall response rate of 30.3%. We then incorporated these regressions into an optimization model to select the most efficient combination of predictors necessary to increase the 4 overall satisfaction measures by 5%. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to explore differences across hospital peer groups and regions. RESULTS: Results differ slightly for each of the 4 overall satisfaction measures. However, 4 predictors were common to all of these measures: "perceived waiting time to receive treatment," "courtesy of the nursing staff," "courtesy of the physicians," and "thoroughness of the physicians." The selected predictors were not necessarily the strongest predictors identified through regression models. The optimization model suggests that most of these predictors must be improved by 15% to increase the overall satisfaction measures by 5%. CONCLUSION: This study introduces the use of optimization techniques to study ED patient satisfaction and highlights an opportunity to apply this technique to widely collected data to help inform hospitals' improvement strategies. The results suggest that hospitals should focus most of their improvement efforts on the 4 predictors mentioned above.

Adolescent↗

A satisfaction survey of opioid-dependent clients at methadone treatment centres in Spain.

A survey was carried out to evaluate the satisfaction with methadone treatment centres of methadone-maintained opioid-dependent patients from Spain. Independent interviewers asked 505 consecutively arriving clients from 20 randomly selected centres (14 conventional centres, two bus units, and four prisons) to participate; 370 (73.3%) clients agreed to fill out the questionnaire, and 351 (69.5%) completed it. Satisfaction was assessed using the Verona Service Satisfaction Scale for methadone treatment (VSSS-MT). The prison sub-sample (n=43) was excluded from overall analysis because survey acceptance and satisfaction was very different in prisons than in the other centres. Mean overall satisfaction in the non-prison sub-sample (n=308) was 3.5 (S.D.=0.6) on a 1-5 point scale (1=terrible; 5=excellent). The percentage of these clients who felt dissatisfied (VSSS-MT scores: < or =3) and satisfied (VSSS-MT scores: >3) was, by category: overall satisfaction, 15.9% dissatisfied, 84.1% satisfied; basic interventions, 16.0% versus 84.0%; specific interventions, 45.4% versus 54.6%; social worker skills, 33.8% versus 66.2%; psychologist skills, 38.5% versus 61.5%. The number of hours per week that the centre dispensed methadone was the only variable able to predict satisfaction. This regression model accounted for only 2.5% of the variance in VSSS-MT overall scores. These results show that Spanish clients are slightly satisfied with conventional centres and bus units, although they fail to detect specific variables that are strongly related to that satisfaction.

Adolescent↗

Alterations of sexual desire and satisfaction in male partners of infertile couples.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the state of sexual desire and satisfaction, with relevant parameters in men, of couples with infertility. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University outpatient clinic. PATIENT(S): Two hundred infertile couples referred to a reproductive health research clinic. INTERVENTION(S): Patients were investigated by a self-administered structured questionnaire about demographic data, infertility history, and several relevant psychological variables. In addition, clinical and andrological examinations were completed to find predictors for sexual state. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT(S): Sexual desire and satisfaction status were scaled, and the relative factors were analyzed statistically. RESULT(S): Subjects reported a reduction in sexual desire in 41.5% of cases and reduction of satisfaction in 52.5% compared with recalled sexual satisfaction before diagnosis of infertility. No relationship was found between andrological findings and the present status of sexual desire (P>.05). Education level, mutual understanding between couples, and recalled state of sexual satisfaction had a direct influence, but the duration of infertility and duration of desire for a child showed a significant inverse impact on sexual satisfaction (P<.05). CONCLUSION(S): Less than 50.0% of patients mentioned a reduction in sexual desire and satisfaction after infertility diagnosis, and the frequency of coitus could be regarded as an acceptable indicator of sexual satisfaction in male partners of infertile couples.

Adult↗

Adolescent quality of life and satisfaction with care.

PURPOSE: 1) To describe adolescents' responses to a client satisfaction and family-centered care survey; 2) to examine the relationship between satisfaction with health care and health-related quality of life (HRQL) among these adolescents; and 3) to determine if adolescents and their parents differ in their satisfaction with services. METHODS: We recruited 104 adolescents who attended the Alberta Children's Hospital pediatric neurology clinic. Each family completed the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), the Family Centered Care Survey (FCCS), the Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC) survey, the Give Youth a Voice (GYV) survey, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). RESULTS: Of 116 eligible families, 104 (90%) completed the study. The majority (83%) of adolescents were satisfied with services provided. Adolescents who were very satisfied on the CSQ and the FCCS had higher PedsQL psychosocial scores (p = .009 and .013, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that adolescents' psychosocial HRQL was the most significant predictor of their satisfaction with care (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01 to 1.06). There was a difference between parents' and adolescents' responses to the FCCS (p = .02), with adolescents being less satisfied overall. CONCLUSIONS: Given that adolescents and parents differ in their satisfaction with health care, it is helpful to have direct input from adolescents on health services surveys. The positive relationship between adolescents' psychosocial HRQL and satisfaction with care highlights the potential impact of emotional health on subjective rating of services. Further studies should determine if improvement in adolescents' mental health is associated with greater satisfaction with health care and/or increased adherence with medical treatments.

Adolescent↗

Factors associated with patient satisfaction with chiropractic care: survey and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to review the recent literature on satisfaction with chiropractic care and offer a multivariate analysis of a national household survey data to understand which aspects of care and behavior contribute most to patient satisfaction with chiropractors. METHODS: A national phone survey of households was done to measure attitudes, utilization, and health practices of chiropractic users and nonusers. A 73% response rate was achieved. Satisfaction with chiropractic services is analyzed using both descriptive and multivariate methods. RESULTS: Satisfaction levels with chiropractic care are quite high (83% of persons are satisfied or very satisfied). High satisfaction is related to several factors, including whether the chiropractor orders and interprets laboratory tests, whether the chiropractor displays concern about patient's overall health, and the extent to which the chiropractor explains the condition and the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence about the factors that underlie high levels of chiropractic satisfaction is not consistent. Communication quality seems to be a consistent predictor of patient satisfaction with chiropractors. More research is needed to understand the role of perceived effectiveness of treatment, intensity of use, accessibility, and financing issues in determining patient satisfaction levels.

Health Care Surveys↗

Patient's satisfaction and distress compared with expectations of the medical staff.

OBJECTIVE: Patient satisfaction is increasingly used to measure and evaluate patient treatment in hospital. The aim of this study is to assess satisfaction regarding communication, support and the degree of anxiety and depression among the patients, and to compare reports from the patients with the expectations of the staff. METHODS: In a prospective study, 176 (93%) of the patients and 52 (80%) of the nurses completed a similar questionnaire. Degree of satisfaction was measured on a five-point scale (0-4), and degree of anxiety and depression was measured with the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD). RESULTS: Satisfaction regarding communication with nurses (3.4+/-0.07) and physicians (3.0+/-0.08) was higher than expected by the staff (2.9+/-0.09 and 2.4+/-0.09, respectively) (p<0.01). The staff expected a higher degree of anxiety (2.3+/-0.10 versus 1.5+/-0.12) (p<0.01). The patients scored significantly higher on HAD anxiety compared with the population in general. The HAD score correlated negatively with the level of satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The patients generally showed a high degree of satisfaction with communication and support. The staff underestimated the patients' degree of satisfaction and overestimated their degree of anxiety. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Knowledge of patients' degree of satisfaction is important for satisfactory communication with the staff, compliance with treatment and in order to reduce staff's concern for their care.

Adolescent↗

The importance of patient satisfaction and health-related quality of life after renal transplantation.

In the last decade, patient satisfaction and quality of life have been accepted as important components of quality of medical care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine and compare the quality of life and satisfaction in renal transplant patients with end-stage renal disease. In this cross-sectional study, quality of life and patient satisfaction were analyzed in 356 renal transplant recipients, 104 hemodialysis patients, 186 peritoneal dialysis patients. All patient groups were asked to estimate their subjective quality of life and satisfaction by responding to Turkish adapted instruments PSQ III (patient satisfaction questionnaire), 15D (quality of life), and sociodemographic data. The patient satisfaction (PSQ III) and quality of life (15D) mean scores were apparently better among male renal transplant than peritoneal or hemodialysis patients (P < .05). Married transplant patients' health-related quality of life (F = 4.64; P < .05) and satisfaction (F = 4.57; P < .05) mean scores were significantly higher than single or widowed patients. Total scores on the PSQ III showed a significant positive correlation with the total scores of the 15D (r = .842; P < .0001). In this study, the benefits of kidney transplantation were documented by means of satisfaction and quality-of-life assessments. The Turkish adapted PSQ III 18-item scale has excellent reliability and validity. The measure may be valuable for use in clinical trials or routine patient care.

Adult↗

Does a year make a difference? Changes in physician satisfaction and perception in an increasingly capitated environment.

BACKGROUND: Although capitation has become an increasingly common method of payment for heath care, little is known about changes in physician satisfaction as they become more experienced working in a capitated environment. METHODS: We surveyed the members of a physician hospital organization at an urban teaching hospital in the summers of 1996 and 1997. In 1996, fully capitated contracts covered <5% of patients under 65 years of age, but that figure increased to nearly 25% by 1997. We assessed physicians' satisfaction with their practice, compared satisfaction under fee-for-service and capitated payment, and evaluated ethical issues related to capitation. RESULTS: In 1996, we surveyed 587 physicians with direct patient care responsibilities, of whom 62% responded; 51% of 520 physicians responded in 1997. Overall satisfaction was 57% in 1996 and 71% in 1997. Among physicians who responded in both years, overall satisfaction was unchanged, but increases in satisfaction were noted for patient load (an increase of 0.5 points on a five-point scale, P <0.01), time to discuss patient needs (an increase of 0.3 points, P <0.01), and helpfulness of care coordination (an increase of 0.5 points, P = 0.02). In a direct comparison between fee-for-service and capitation, physicians were more satisfied with both methods of payment in 1997 than they were in 1996, but they were much more satisfied with fee-for-service in both years. For many individual indicators, the difference in satisfaction between fee-for-service and capitation increased between 1996 and 1997. CONCLUSION: When introduced to capitation, physicians had strong negative perceptions about it. After a year's experience, satisfaction with capitation improved, but perceived differences between capitation and fee-for-service grew even larger. Thus, physicians have serious concerns about capitation that may not be alleviated by experience with it.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Patient satisfaction after carotid endarterectomy using a selective policy of local anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction after carotid endarterectomy has not been specifically studied or reported. Results of carotid endarterectomy using either local or general anesthesia have been widely reported, and outcomes are not significantly different for either technique. Patient satisfaction data were obtained in order to determine whether patients preferred one method of anesthesia over another. Data regarding outcome may be added to the surgical literature as benchmark data when comparing operative carotid endarterectomy to newer techniques. METHODS: During a 30-month period, 186 consecutive carotid endarterectomies were performed on 169 patients by a single surgeon with assistance from senior surgical residents. All patients were offered local anesthesia using a cervical block technique with intraoperative supplementation. Patients for whom local anesthesia was inappropriate or who declined were operated on using general endotracheal anesthesia. Results of operation were tabulated including indication for operation, method of anesthesia, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and mortality, and completion of a patient satisfaction survey form either on postoperative visit or by telephone questionnaire. RESULTS: Of 169 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy, 151 (89%) completed the satisfaction survey form. One hundred fourteen (62%) had local anesthesia and 71 patients (38%) had general anesthesia. There was 1 stroke (0.5%) and 1 death (0.5%) in the series. Perioperative complications including temporary cranial nerve injury, neck hematoma, myocardial infarction, and restenosis were noted and not significantly different in either the general anesthesia or local anesthesia group. Patient satisfaction data including intraoperative discomfort, postoperative pain, attentiveness of the operating room staff, and length of stay were all tabulated. There was no statistically significant difference in satisfaction between the general anesthesia group and the local anesthesia group (chi-square and Fisher's exact test). Additionally, satisfaction with the procedure was extremely high. CONCLUSIONS: Patient outcome and perception of pain and recovery were not statistically significantly different in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy using local anesthesia compared with general anesthesia. Overall patient satisfaction was extremely high. Patients should be offered carotid endarterectomy using an anesthesia technique with which the surgeon and patients are both comfortable, having confidence that the outcome is not related to anesthesia technique and that patients will be highly satisfied.

Aged↗

Patient satisfaction with care is associated with personal choice of physician.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether choosing one's own primary care doctor is associated with patient satisfaction with primary health care. To evaluate factors related to population's satisfaction with primary health care. POPULATION: A random sample of Estonian adult population (N=997). STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using a pre-categorized questionnaire which was compiled by the research group of the University of Tartu and the research provider EMOR. RESULTS: Altogether 68% of the respondents had been listed in their personal physician. Their overall satisfaction with the physician as well as satisfaction with several aspects of primary health care were significantly higher compared with those of unregistered respondents. Although some other factors (practice size, patient age, health status) also influenced patient satisfaction, presence of a personal physician appeared the most important predictor of high satisfaction with physician's punctuality and understanding, effectiveness of prescribed therapy, clarity of explanations given by the physician as well as with overall satisfaction with the physician. CONCLUSION: Personal doctor system is associated with patient satisfaction with different aspects of care.

Adolescent↗

Effects of actual waiting time, perceived waiting time, information delivery, and expressive quality on patient satisfaction in the emergency department.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of actual waiting time, perception of waiting time, information delivery, and expressive quality on patient satisfaction. METHODS: During a 12-month study period, a questionnaire was administered by telephone to a random sample of patients who had presented to a suburban community hospital emergency department during the preceding 2 to 4 weeks. Respondents were asked several questions concerning waiting times (ie, time from triage until examination by the emergency physician and time from triage until discharge from the ED), information delivery (eg, explanations of procedures and delays), expressive quality (eg, courteousness, friendliness), and overall patient satisfaction. RESULTS: There were 1,631 respondents. The perception that waiting times were less than expected was associated with a positive overall satisfaction rating for the ED encounter (P < .001). Satisfaction with information delivery and with ED staff expressive quality were also positively associated with overall satisfaction during the ED encounter (P < .001). Actual waiting times were not predictive of overall patient satisfaction (P = NS). CONCLUSION: Perceptions regarding waiting time, information delivery, and expressive quality predict overall patient satisfaction, but actual waiting times do not. Providing information, projecting expressive quality, and managing waiting time perceptions and expectations may be a more effective strategy to achieve improved patient satisfaction in the ED than decreasing actual waiting time.

Adolescent↗

[Satisfaction with primary medical care: population determinants].

OBJECTIVES: To study the level of satisfaction with the family physician in the general population, and to evaluate the influence of characteristics of the individual and the available health care services. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey with a representative sample of 1,505 beneficiaries of the Social Security, older than one year, from the city of Matar¿o (Barcelona). A questionnaire, administered by home interview, examined the socio-demographic situation, health status, health care organizations and services used and the preferences and knowledge in relation to them. Satisfaction was measured on the scale of Hulka BS et al. developed at Andalusian primary care centres. RESULTS: Satisfaction with the family physician had, on a scale from 0 to 100, a mean score of 61.3 (standard deviation, 13.5) points. The main determinant of satisfaction was the model of primary care, users of non-reformed centres being less satisfied. It was followed by better knowledge of ambulatory services, age and better attitudes towards primary care, which were positively related to satisfaction. Indicators of health care accessibility and continuity, as well as the number of medical visits fulfilled, the subject's main activity and their level of health were also independent determinants of satisfaction. The explained satisfaction's variation was 38.98%. CONCLUSIONS: Satisfaction with family physician is a complex and multifactorial behaviour which is under constant change due to the interrelation of the individual with his social and health care environment.

Attitude↗

Clinician satisfaction with a preventive services implementation trial. The IMPROVE project.

OBJECT: To discover how attempts to increase the delivery of preventive services affect clinician satisfaction. METHODS: The IMPROVE project was a randomized clinical trial conducted in 44 clinics in and around Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Personnel were trained in continuous quality improvement techniques to organize preventive services delivery systems. Satisfaction with delivery of these services and with the sponsoring organizations was measured before the intervention (Time 1), at the end of the intervention (Time 2), and 1 year post-intervention (Time 3). RESULTS: At no time was the intervention associated with a change in the respondents satisfaction with their places of work or with their job roles. Satisfaction with preventive services delivery increased from Time 1 to Time 3 among intervention-clinic respondents. Satisfaction with the IMPROVE project and the efforts of the two managed care organizations to help the clinics deliver preventive services peaked at Time 2 and declined toward baseline at Time 3. Satisfaction with preventive services delivery tended to increase more in the 13 intervention clinics that implemented a preventive services delivery system than in the nine intervention clinics that did not implement a preventive services delivery system (p = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Planned organizational change to create systems for preventive services delivery can be associated with increased clinician satisfaction with the way these services are delivered. However, increased satisfaction with preventive services does not necessarily indicate that service delivery rates have increased.

Adult↗