Managing Public Hospital Care Quality through a Patient-Centered Approach: Evidence from a Balkan Country

Abstract

The evaluation of patients' experiences with hospital healthcare is crucial in identifying important aspects that help in improving such experiences. Recognizing the importance of patient empowerment incorporating the latter voice in healthcare decision making can lead to improvements in health services, health outcomes, and hospital performance. This cross-sectional study aims to propose a validated instrument to evaluate and identify key hospital care aspects that influence patient satisfaction with the quality of the care provided. For a three-month period, 307 randomly selected patients hospitalized in Albanian public hospitals were invited to participate in this study. Respondents' experiences with the quality of healthcare services during their hospitalization are collected using a validated instrument, an adapted version of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, PSQ-III. The instrument collects patient experiences related to ten aspects of hospital care. Statistical analysis revealed that five out of ten considered dimensions have a significant impact on patient satisfaction: Interpersonal relationships, technical quality, communication with medical staff, financial aspects, and administrative procedures are all significant factors. The findings of the study provide hospital management and medical staff with information about aspects that enhance or hinder patient satisfaction. It serves as the basis for developing strategies that may enhance the level of patients' satisfaction with the healthcare provided by public hospitals.