The Influence of Outpatients’ Wait Times and Health Care Professionals’ Communication Behaviors on Treatment Satisfaction and the Intention to Drop Out

Abstract

We studied influences of perceptions of patients’ wait times and communication behaviors of healthcare professionals on treatment satisfaction and the intention to drop out in diabetes outpatients. A questionnaire was sent to 888 outpatients with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance who visited our clinic in April 2016. We also measured time spent in clinics. Totally, 759 patients responded to the questionnaire; 717 valid responses were obtained for statistical analyses. In the group with the intention to drop out,” many replied that they felt that “the wait time from physical examination to accounting” was long; this association was significant (P = 0.009, χ2 test). Time spent in clinics was also significantly associated with the “perception of wait time (total).” Communication behaviors of healthcare professionals were also significantly associated with the presence of the intention to drop out. Median scores of the first factor of the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) were lower in those who intended to drop out than in those who did not (52 vs. 632 patients); the DTSQ first factor score was significantly associated with the presence of intention to drop out (P < 0.001, Mann-Whitney U test). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed the DTSQ score as a significant predictor of the presence of intention to drop out (area under the curve = 0.746, P < 0.001), with an optimal cut-off of 22.5 (sensitivity 70.6%, specificity 67.3%). The findings of this study suggest that improved treatment satisfaction may reduce incidences of drop out. Thus, improved wait times and better communication behavior from healthcare professions may improve patient satisfaction and reduce the intention to drop out and possibly the dropout rate. Disclosure S. Sato: None. T. Tosaki: Other Relationship; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Takeda Development Center Asia, Pte. Ltd., MSD K.K., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. C. Oshiro: None. A. Kudara: None. A. Inagaki: None. M. Kondo: None. S. Tsunekawa: None. Y. Kato: Speaker's Bureau; Self; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Eli Lilly Japan. H. Kamiya: Other Relationship; Self; MSD K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., AstraZeneca, Astellas Pharma KK, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis Pharma K.K., Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. J. Nakamura: Other Relationship; Self; Astellas Pharma US, Inc., AstraZeneca, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., Sanofi K.K., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Development Center Asia, Pte. Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis Pharma K.K., Pfizer Inc..