Abstract
Background
The aim of our study was to identify patient- and care-related factors that are associated with patients’ satisfaction with psychiatric hospital care, using a specific, self-administered questionnaire based exclusively on the patient’s point of view: the Satisfaction with Psychiatry Care Questionnaire-22 (SATISPSY-22).
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the psychiatric departments of two French public university teaching hospitals. The data collected included sociodemographic information, clinical characteristics, care characteristics, and the SATISPSY-22. A multivariate analysis using multiple linear regressions was performed to determine the variables potentially associated with satisfaction levels.
Results
Two hundred seventy patients were enrolled in our study. Only one moderate association was found between satisfaction and sociodemographic characteristics: the personal experience dimension with age (β=0.15). Clinical improvement was moderately associated with higher global satisfaction (β=−0.15), higher satisfaction with quality of care (β=−0.19), and higher satisfaction with food (β=−0.18). Stronger associations with satisfaction were found for care characteristics, particularly the therapeutic alliance with all of the satisfaction dimensions (β, 0.20–0.43) except food, and for seclusion with global satisfaction (β=−0.33) and personal experience (β=−0.32). Patients with previous hospitalization also had a higher level of satisfaction with quality of care compared with patients who were admitted for the first time (β=−0.15).
Conclusion
This study has identified a number of potential determinants of satisfaction. The therapeutic relationship and seclusion were the most important features associated with a patient’s satisfaction. These factors might be amenable through intervention, which, in turn, might be expected to improve satisfaction, patients’ management, and health outcomes in psychiatric hospitals.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to all of the patients for their participation in the study. This work was supported by institutional grants from the 2009 Appel Offre–Recherche Clinique Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Marseille. The sponsor of this research was Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Marseille, France, and its role was to control the appropriateness of ethical and legal considerations.
Author contributions
Conception and design were performed by XZ, PA, CL, and LB. Study coordination was performed by XZ. Inclusion and clinical data collection were performed by XZ, NP, and MF. Analysis of data was performed by XZ and AL. Interpretation of data was performed by XZ, PA, and LB. Drafting and writing the manuscript was performed by XZ, PA, and LB. Revising the manuscript critically for important intellectual content was performed by XZ, PA, CL, AL, NP, MF, and LB (all the authors).
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.