Predictors of patient satisfaction in surgery

Background. We sought to evaluate the satisfaction of surgical patients in order to identify predictors of patient satisfaction, using a cross-sectional surgery patients' survey in 24 public hospitals in Spain and a total of 15,539 inpatients and 7,899 outpatients. Results. Seventy-seven Percent of inpatients and 88.3% of outpatients were satisfied (chi(2) = 509.31; P < .0001). Case mix and hospital size were associated with satisfaction in inpatients (chi(2) = 19.31; P = .013). Older inpatients tended to be more satisfied (chi(2) = 80.54; P = .001), whereas; younger outpatients showed higher satisfaction levels (chi(2) = 51.73; P = .004). The most influential factors on inpatient satisfaction were information at admission (odds ratio [OR], 4.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.91-5.63), knowing what type of professional one was dealing with at any given time (OR 4.01; 95% CI, 3.01-5.34), and informed consent (OR 3.37; 95% CI, 2.41-4.71). For outpatients, the most influential factors were informed consent (OR, 7.62; 95% CI, 3.68-15.80) and information about home care after discharge (OR, 7.010; 95% CI, 3.06-15.96). Conclusion. We should consider the importance of patient, information before and after treatment in the design of clinical pathways to offer better and more comprehensive care to surgical patients. (Surgery 2009:145:536-41.)