Does religion influence patient satisfaction?

Objectives: To determine if patient satisfaction varies by level of individual religiosity. Methods: Data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States, were used to assess the relationship between religious salience (importance) and patients' satisfaction with their health care encounters. Results: Higher levels of religious salience are significantly related to being very satisfied with one's health care, even after demographic, social, and health variables are taken into account. Conclusions: Researchers, practitioners, and administrators should be aware that religion may significantly influence how patients rate their health care experiences.