Keywords
patient expectations
quality of care
How to Cite
Abstract
Background. Modern society places high demands on the quality of healthcare – including hospital conditions. Patient have expectations regarding not only the effectiveness of the treatment, but also their own comfort and safety, as well as communication with the hospital staff. Objectives. The aim of the study was to assess patients’ satisfaction with their most recent hospitalization, considering their prior expectations. Aspects such as medical and nursing care, communication, respect for patient rights, preparation for discharge, quality of meals, and housing conditions were examined. Material and methods. The study was conducted by means of a diagnostic survey using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data and an evaluation of aspects of the hospital stay. The analysis included 163 completed surveys from October 2023–January 2024, conducted using the Google Forms platform. The materiality level was assumed to be p = 0.05. Results. Respondents rated staff communication as accessible and understandable (mean 3.98 ± 1.14 on a 5-point scale). Nursing care was rated higher than medical care (maen 3,88 ± 1,28 point vs 3,64 ± 1,26 point). The majority of respondents had no complaints about the courtesy of staff (67.48%), but 15.34% reported cases of disrespect for dignity and 10.43% – for the right to privacy. Less than half of the respondents (46.01%) felt well-prepared for discharge from a ward. Critical comments regarding the quality of meals included the inability to choose a menu (37.42%), too small portions (23.93%), and coldness of the meals (21.47%). Housing conditions were rated negatively by 25.77% of respondents due to lack of good sleeping conditions, and by 11.04% due to the room temperature. Analysis of attitude change after hospital discharge showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05), meeting patients’ expectations significantly influenced a positive change in opinion of healthcare. Conclusions. There is a need for improved nutritional and housing conditions in hospitals, as well as better communication and preparation of patients for discharge from a ward.References
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