A study of medical complaints against five tertiary general hospitals in Shandong province

Abstract

Objective To analyze the causes, characteristics and solutions of medical complaints against five tertiary general hospitals in Shandong province, and provide references for the hospitals to improve their quality of care and to build a harmonious relationship between doctors and patients. Methods A retrospective analysis method was used to analyze the causes, solutions and subjects of 1 049 medical complaints against five tertiary general hospitals in Shandong province from 2012 to 2015. Results Among the departments complained, orthopedics(165 cases, 15.7%), and obstetrics and gynecology(136 cases, 13.0%)topped the rest.The causes of complaints mainly focued on the quality and effect of surgery(355 cases, 33.8%), diagnosis and treatment(269 cases, 25.6%), and service attitude(204 cases, 19.4%). For outpatient/emergency departments, the patients mostly complained on service attitude (125 cases, 36.1%), while the causes of complaints by inpatients were mainly quality of surgery and effects (332 cases, 44.8%). In terms of the dispute solution pathways, consultation between doctors and patients became the most useful one(353 cases, 84.5%), and the third-party mediation approach(56 cases, 13.4%)also played an important role. Conclusions The hospitals should comprehensively strengthen their medical quality management, improve the quality of service contact and patient satisfaction. They are also recommended to establish a perfect complaint handling mechanism for higher patient satisfaction. The government should set up specialized courts for medical disputes and improve the efficiency of judicial solution of such disputes. Key words: Hospital administration; Medical complaint; Doctor-patient relationship; Shandong province