Determinants of Patient Satisfaction in a Rural Hospital’s Emergency Department

Abstract

Patient satisfaction levels are an important measurement in the health care industry. Many studies in the past have closely examined waiting times and triage classification as they relate to satisfaction levels, but less emphasis has been placed on other factors affecting these levels. This study examined the effects of patient gender, age, occupation, distance traveled, payment method, waiting time, triage classification, day of the week, time of day, and whether information pertaining to the expected length of wait was provided. Patient satisfaction levels were measured by means of a questionnaire presented to patients leaving a rural hospital emergency department (ED), asking them to rate their satisfaction levels and to answer other questions concerning their visit. No statistical significance was found between any of the factors and the reported satisfaction levels, suggesting that patient satisfaction was not exclusively dependent upon any one aspect of the medical system, although sample size also played a role in preventing any significance.