Correlation between patient satisfaction and experience in primary care facilities: A cross-sectional study in China

Abstract

In China, promote the utilization of primary care is a significant way to relieve the shortage of medical resources, and to enhance the overall health-seeking efficiency. Patients' satisfaction with services provided in primary care facilities highly decided whether they choose them again. To identify the key patient experience domains driving overall satisfaction with primary care from patients’ perspectives, we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey for data collection, using a convenience sampling from July to August, 2021. The primary independent variable was scores measured by Chinese Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT-C) to quantify patient experience at primary healthcare clinics (PHCs). And the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18) was adopted to measure patient satisfaction, the dependent variable, to show patients attitude towards service in PHCs. Covariates were main socio-demographic factors. Multi-variable linear regression analysis was employed to evaluate the correlation between patients’ experience and their satisfaction. Finally, a total of 1989 qualified questionnaires were reserved. The continuity dimension showed the strongest relationship with overall satisfaction (coef. 0.014 [95% CI 0.012 to 0.016], P=0.000), followed by the Coordination and Community orientation dimension. The Comprehensiveness and Family-centered dimension also made a statistically significant difference. Besides, age, region, working status, and annual family income all played a role in influencing patient satisfaction. In Conclusion, In China, satisfaction with primary healthcare may be improved by upgrading patient experience. Build up longitudinal relationship and enhance service quality of primary care to strengthen the service continuity may be the most effective way to promote patient experience. Moreover, positive correlation between patient overall satisfaction and primary care coordination, comprehensive, family centered, as well as community orientation indicate continuous efforts on these aspects to achieve a higher level of satisfaction, and further to promote the utilization of primary care.