Factors affecting patient satisfaction in the emergency department

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate patient satisfaction level and affecting factors in the Emergency Department of Ondokuz Mayıs University Hospital, and to contribute to improvements planned to be performed in the future in this regard. Methods: This study was carried out between 01/01/2018 and 03/30/2018 using the revised version of the questionnaire that was used in the study conducted in 2008 in the Emergency Department of Ondokuz Mayıs University Hospital. In the revised version, the questionnaire was applied to both outpatients and inpatients. Results: A total of 18,034 patients applied to the Emergency Department of Ondokuz Mayıs University Hospital during the study period and 284 of whom were followed-up as in patients in the emergency observation unit. The study was carried out with 565 randomly selected patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 187 (33.10%) were treated in the emergency observation unit and 378 (66, 90%) were treated in the emergency outpatient clinic. The rate of the patients who stated that they were satisfied with the service they received was 80.4% (304) in those receiving treatment in the emergency outpatient clinic while 88.2% (1165) in those receiving treatment in the emergency observation unit. Conclusion: Behaviors of nurses and physicians as well as their care and interventions were determined to be the most influential factors on patient satisfaction. In addition, it was revealed that there was a negative correlation between satisfaction and patient education level, where as a positive correlation between satisfaction and patient age and inpatient follow-up.