Health Services & inPatient Experience (HS&PE): Development of a patient-centered outcome measure for inpatient settings in Italy

Abstract

Background. The evolution of health systems toward more patient-oriented services has led to emphasize the importance of evaluating aspects such as the humanization of the service and health communication, variables related to patient health outcome. There is therefore a need for tools able to identify gaps in the behaviour of health professionals, which could improve patients’ health outcomes. Objective. The present study aims to present the psychometric properties of the questionnaire Health Services and Patient Experience (HS&PE). The tool was developed as an outcome measure of patient-centered care in inpatient settings. Methods. The questionnaire was administered to 724 inpatients overall at Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital of Siena in Italy. Analyses of the tool’s psychometric properties were performed using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses along with the examination of the indices of internal consistency. A multiple linear regression with the stepwise method was conducted to evaluate the HS&PE three factors as predictors of overall satisfaction for the entire healthcare pathway. Results. The results suggested a structure based on three factors with a satisfactory fit to the model. The factors were identified as Humanization , Communication and the information received at hospital discharge ( Enablement ). The strongest determinant of satisfaction was the quality of communication. Conclusions. The HS&PE may be a useful tool to orient management policies toward training interventions with the aim of improving treatment efficacy from a Patient-centered perspective. Future research should investigate the relationship between the HS&PE three dimensions and health-related outcomes, like quality of life and treatment compliance.