Background: A hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) plays a crucial role in the healthcare delivery system. Its operation has an impact on patients’ general and specific satisfaction.
Methodology: Through a survey, a study to determine the satisfaction of patients attending the Ali-Ebne-Abitaleb Hospital (ED) was carried out. Out of 12,000 patients who were referred to the ED, 392 patients and 608 of their relatives were included in the study. The data were analysed by SPSS version 14.
Results: The findings showed that 191 (19.1 per cent) of the patients were ‘satisfied with medical care’ while 719 (71.9 per cent) were ‘somewhat satisfied’ and 90 (9 per cent) were ‘unsatisfied’. With regard to nursing care in particular, 265 (26.5 per cent) of the patients were ‘satisfied with nursing care’, while 630 (63 per cent) were ‘somewhat satisfied’ and 105 (10.5 per cent) were ‘unsatisfied’. The chi-square tests showed that a statistical significant relationship existed between patient’s satisfaction with medical and nursing care and the shift work.
Conclusion and Recommendations: Paying proper attention to the ED patients’ expectations is highly important to make them satisfied. Therefore, it is suggested that more efforts should be made to improve the quality of services within the ED.
Aragon, S.J. & S.B. Gesell (2003). A patient satisfaction theory and its robustness across gender in emergency departments: A multigroup structural equation modeling investigation. American Journal of Medical Quality, 18(6), 229–41.
2.
Bopp, K.D. (1989). Value-added ambulatory encounters: A conceptual framework. J Ambulatory Care Manage, 12(3), 36–44.
3.
Boudreaux, E.D., C.V. Mandry & K.M. Wood (2003). Patient satisfaction data as a quality indicator, a tale of two emergency departments. Acad Emerg Med, 10(3), 261–68.
4.
Bursch, B., J. Beezy & R. Shaw (1993). Emergency department satisfaction: What matters most?Ann Emerg Med, 22(3), 586–91.
5.
Debenke, D. & C. Decker (2002). The effects of a physician-nurse patient care team on patients satisfaction in an academic ED. American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 20(4), 267–70.
6.
Donabedian, A. (1995). The quality of care: How can it be assessed? In G.O. Graham (ed.) Quality in health care: Theory, application and evolution (pp. 32–46). Gaithersburg, MD:Aspen.
7.
Elaine, M., T. Lois & B. Senga (2004). A study to determine patient satisfaction with nursing. Journal of Nursing Standard, 10(52), 34–38.
8.
Hansagi, H., B. Carlsson & B. Brismar (1992). The urgency of care need and patient satisfaction at a hospital emergency department. Health Care Manage Rev, 17(2), 71–75.
9.
Hickson C.F., J.W. Federspiel, C.S. Pichert, C.S. Miller, J. Gauld-Jaeger & P. Bost (2002). Patient complaints and malpractice risk. JAMA, 287(22), 2951–957.
10.
Hordacre, A.L., A. Taylor, C. Pirone & R.J. Adams (2005). Assessing patient satisfaction: Implications for South Australian public hospitals. Aust Health Rev, 29(4), 439–46.
11.
Hostutler, J.J., S.H. Taft & C. Snyder (1999). Patient needs in the emergency department. Nurses’ and patients’ perceptions. J Nurs Admin, 29(1), 43–50.
12.
Hutchison et al. (2003). Patient satisfaction and quality of care in walk-in clinics, family practices and emergency departments: The Ontario walk-in clinic study. CMAJ, 168(8), 977–83.
13.
Jinn, Y.Y. & L. Wen-Shan (2007). Using simulation technique and genetic algorithm to improve the quality care of a hospital emergency department. Expert Systems with Applications, 32(4), 1073–83.
14.
Karen, C. & L.B. Normile (2002). Delays in implementing admission orders for critical care patients associated with length of stay in emergency departments in six mid-Atlantic states. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 28(6), 489–95.
15.
Kenagy, J.W., D.W. Berwick & M.F. Shore (1999). Service quality in health care. JAMA, 281(7), 661–65.
16.
Kim, S.S. & B.K. Park (2008). Patient-perceived communication styles of physicians in rehabilitation: The effect on patient satisfaction and compliance in Korea. Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 87(12), 998–1005.
17.
Krishel, S. & L.J. Baraff (1993). Effect of emergency department information on patient satisfaction. Ann Emerg Med, 22(3), 568–72.
18.
Kurata, J.H., A. Nogawa, D.M. Phillips, S. Hoffman & M.N. Werblun (1992). Patient and provider satisfaction with medical care. J Fam Pract, 35(2), 176–79.
19.
Lau, F.L. (2000). Can communication skills workshops for emergency department doctors improve patient satisfaction?Emerg Med J, 17, 251–53.
20.
Litvak, E. (2004). Managing variability in patient flow is the key to improving access to care, nursing staffing, quality of care, and reducing its cost. Presented to the Institute of Medicine, Program for Management of Variability in Health Care Delivery.
21.
Mayer, T.A., R.J. Cates, M.J. Mastorovich & D.L. Royalty (1998). Emergency department patient satisfaction: Customer service training improves patient satisfaction and ratings of physician and nurse skill. Journal of Healthcare Management, 43(5), 427–42.
22.
Miró et al. (2003). Analysis of patient flow in the emergency department and the effect of an extensive reorganization. Emerg Med J, 20(2), 143–48.
23.
Pichert et al. (1998). What health professionals can do to identify and resolve patient dissatisfaction?JT Comm J Qual Improve, 24(6), 303–12.
24.
Pickin D.M., A. O’Cathain, M. Fall, A.B. Morgan, A. Have and J.P. Nicholl (2004). The impact of a general practice co-operative on accident and emergency services, patient satisfaction and GP satisfaction. Family Practice, 21(2), 180–82.
25.
Press Ganey Associates Inc. (2004). http://www.pressganey.com/ (Accessed 14 December 2004).
26.
Qidwai, W., S.S. Ali, M. Baqir & S. Ayub (2005). Patient expectations from an emergency medical service. Ayub med coll Abbottabad, 17(3), 3–6.
27.
Rezaee, K., T. Asadbeygi, T. Tolobi & M. Tarahi (2002). Satisfaction of patient with emergency and accident department of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences. Yafteh Journal, 4(14), 9–15 (In Farsi).
28.
Rhee, K.J., R.A. Allen & J. Bird (1998). Telephone vs. mail response to an emergency department patient satisfaction survey. Acad Emerg Med, 5(5), 1121–123.
29.
Richards, C.R., K. Richell-Herren & K. Mackway-Jones (2002). Emergency management of chest pain: Patient satisfaction with an emergency department based six hour rule out myocardial infarction protocol. Emerg Med J, 19(2), 122–25.
30.
Sarchami, R. & M.R. Sheykhi (1999). Evaluation of satisfaction with quality of emergency and accident departments of Ghazvin hospital. Journal of Ghazvin University of Medical Sciences, 7(5), 58–64 (In Farsi).
31.
Schriver, J.A., R. Talmadge, R. Chuong & J.R. Hedges (2003). Emergency nursing: Historical, current, and future roles. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 29(5), 431–39.
32.
Shari, J.W. (2010). Twenty years of patient satisfaction research applied to the emergency department: A qualitative review. American Journal of Medical Quality, 25(1), 64–72.
33.
Spiegel, A.D. & F. Kavaler (1997). Better patient communications mean lower liability exposure. Manag Care, 6(8), 119–24.
34.
Street, R.L. Jr. (1991). Information giving in medical consultations: The influence of physician communication styles and personal characteristics. Soc Sci Med, 32(5), 541–48.
35.
Sun, B.C., M. Brinkley, J. Morrissey, P. Rice & T. Stair (2000). Determinants and patient satisfaction and willingness to return with emergency care. Ann Emerg Med, 35(5), 499–501.
36.
Sun, B.C., M. Brinkley & J. Morrissey (2004). A patient education intervention does not improve satisfaction with emergency care. Ann Emerg Med, 44, 378–86.
37.
Tabatabaei, S.Z. (2000). Study of main factors of referrals local patients from Rafsanjan to Yazd’s medical centres and presenting appropriate strategies. MSc thesis of School of Health Care Management. Tehran. 2000: 20 (In Farsi).
38.
Taylor, C. & J.R. Benger (2004). Patient satisfaction in emergency medicine. Emerg MED J, 21(5), 528–32.
39.
The Advisory Board Company. Heightened service scrutiny. In: Emergency Care Reform: Executive Briefing for Clinical Leaders. Clockwork ED Series. Washington, DC: The Advisory Board Company; 1998: 23–46.
40.
Thompson, D.A., P.R. Yarnold, D.R. Williams & S.L. Adams (1996). Effects of actual waiting time, perceived waiting time, information delivery, and expressive quality on patient satisfaction in the emergency department. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 28(6), 657–65.
41.
Watson, W., E. Marshall & D. Fosbinder (1999). Elderly patients’ perceptions of care in the emergency department. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 25(2), 88–92.
42.
Yarnold, P.R., E.A. Michelson, D.A. Thompson and S.L. Adams (1998). Predicting patient satisfaction: A study of two emergency departments. J Behav Med, 21(6), 545–63.
43.
Zendehdel, K. & R. Baradarjalili (1998). Evaluation of satisfaction with emer-gency and accident departments of Tehran hospital. Journal of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1(5), 1–5 (In Farsi).
