Title: Patient satisfaction in hospital-based emergency departments: recommendation for healthcare management and policy

Authors: Blossom Yen-Ju Lin, Chung-Ping Cliff Hsu, Cheng-Hua Lee, Ming-Chin Chao

Addresses: Institute of Health Service Administration, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh Shih Rd., Taichung, 404, Taiwan, ROC. ' Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, 160, Sec. 3, Chung-Kang Rd., Taichung, 407, Taiwan, ROC. ' Bureau of National Health Insurance, 140, Sec. 3, Hsinyi Road, Taipei, 106, Taiwan, ROC. ' Institute of Health Service Management, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh Shih Rd., Taichung, 404, Taiwan, ROC

Abstract: This study was aimed to examine patient satisfaction in Taiwan hospital-based emergency departments (ED). The 460 ED patients were surveyed – 66 from medical centres, 101 form regional hospitals and 293 from district hospitals. A structured questionnaire were developed covering three service dimensions including perceived waiting times, service quality of medical professionals and physical environments in the ED. The overall ED patient satisfaction and willingness to promote the ED were also measured. It found that perceived waiting times and professional service quality were the factors associated with the overall ED patient satisfaction and willingness to promote the ED. In addition, this study might be the first one to examine the ED about their physical environments. As expected, the issue of privacy, clearness, noises, air smell, temperature and direction signals had played important roles on the overall ED patient satisfaction and willingness to promote the ED.

Keywords: hospital emergency departments; patient satisfaction; physical environments; quality improvement; Taiwan; healthcare policy; healthcare management; medical centres; regional hospitals; district hospitals; perceived waiting times; service quality; privacy; clearness; noises; air smell; temperature; direction signals; willingness to promote.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2010.030602

International Journal of Public Policy, 2010 Vol.5 No.2/3, pp.175 - 189

Published online: 26 Dec 2009 *

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