Effects of Inpatients’ Service Satisfaction on Health-related Quality of Life in Geriatric Hospitals

Abstract

This study aims at suggesting improvement measures on health-related quality of life for inpatients in geriatric hospitals by analyzing the influences of inpatients’service satisfaction on their health-related quality of life. For this study, a survey was done for inpatients in 15 different geriatric hospitals from 12 February 2013 to 28 February 2013; 307 questionnaires out of the 345 collected questionnaires were used in the final analysis. The results of this study are as follows. First, the average inpatient service satisfaction in geriatric hospitals was 3.81, and the average health-related quality of life was 2.68. Second, inpatient service satisfaction correlated positively with the following three factors: absence of financial pressure for services, lack of visitations from family members and hospitalization period of 3 or more years. Third, medical services satisfaction, facilities and environment satisfaction, which are the sub-categories factor of inpatient service satisfaction, had effect on health-related quality of life. Fourth, the level of the health-related quality of life tended to increase as the following four factors increase: health status, the level of religious devotion, the level of ADL(Activities of Daily Living) assessment, and the level of medical services satisfaction, facilities and environment satisfaction. Based on the results above, the measures to improve health-related quality of life are suggested as follows. First, geriatric hospitals should search for the measures to strengthen their inpatients’ health status by expanding and improving diverse programs for enhancing inpatients’ health because the health-related quality of life is directly affected by health status and ADL assessment. Second, geriatric hospitals should improve the education, training and qualification of their personnels in order to raise the level of inpatients’ service satisfaction. Third, geriatric hospitals should maintain active and cooperative relationship with religious organizations in order to develop and manage effective support programs for the elderly.