Quality of Health Services and Patients’ Satisfaction in Accredited and Non-Accredited Hospitals

Naser Ibrahim Saif

doi:10.5539/ijbm.v11n10p298

Abstract

<p>The majority of hospitals follow voluntary or mandatory accreditation standards; these standards are widely believed to improve the quality of hospital services (QHS) and thereby increase patient satisfaction (PS). The current descriptive-comparative study explored patients’ opinions and beliefs with regard to QHS and PS at accredited and non-accredited Jordanian public hospitals in 2016. Data of discharged patients were collected using a structured questionnaire; 250 patients from four hospitals participated (response rate: 83%). SPSS v.15 was used calculate mean values, standard deviations, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and to conduct t-tests. Patients indicated medium levels of QHS and PS in both accredited and non-accredited hospitals; additionally, QHS and PS were significantly correlated (p ≤ 0.05) in both types of hospitals. These results suggest that QHS and PS require improvement in all Jordanian public hospitals; future research should identify causal relationships between implementing accreditation standards and patient satisfaction.</p>

Highlights

In recent decades, hospitals have increasingly recognized that supplying quality goods and services importantly promotes hospitals’ domestic and international competitiveness (Guasch, Racine, Sanchez, & Diop, 2007; Czajkowskaa & Stasiak-Betlejewskab, 2015)
Patients who had been discharged from pediatric departments, stayed in their hospital for
This study tested the hypothesis that patients perceived higher quality of hospital services (QHS) and patient satisfaction (PS) in accredited hospitals (AH) than in non-accredited hospitals (NAH)

Summary

Introduction

Hospitals have increasingly recognized that supplying quality goods and services importantly promotes hospitals’ domestic and international competitiveness (Guasch, Racine, Sanchez, & Diop, 2007; Czajkowskaa & Stasiak-Betlejewskab, 2015). Health care systems are increasingly applying quality initiatives adopted by hospitals to promote their survival and success (McLaughlin & Kaluzny, 2006; Örtenblad, Löfström, & Sheaff, 2015). Hospitals have moved quickly to adopt modern management concepts and improve service quality (i.e., quality of health services; QHS) and patients’ perception of QHS (Papp, 2015). The majority of patients regard easy access, suitable admission and discharge procedures, and respect for patients’ rights as core components of QHS in hospitals (Moonesinghe & Zhu, 2011). Proper presentation of facilities, housekeeping, and food service mediate patients’ perceived QHS (Health Care Accreditation Council, 2011)

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion