Erfassung der Patientenzufriedenheit in der stationären und teilstationären psychiatrischen Behandlung einer Abteilungspsychiatrie in einem Klinikum der Schwerpunktversorgung

The assessment of patient satisfaction is a relevant subject in health services research and quality management. The aim of the current study was the implementation of a practicable method for routine evaluation of patient satisfaction with obtained hospital treatment as well as a first evaluation of the resulting outcomes. The study was conducted in a psychiatry department of a general county hospital. As a survey instrument the ZUF-8 was applied – a brief, economically and psychometrically verified procedure. The patients, who spent more than seven days in treatment (inpatient treatment and day-hospital) and were discharged during a three-month period (from the middle of May to the middle of August 2009), were surveyed in the study. They were questioned at discharge about satisfaction with their hospital stay. In order to identify variables with influence on satisfaction the patients’ demographic data and general treatment variables were collected using the BADO questionnaire including CGI and GAF. In order to further establish the patient satisfaction evaluation, the ZUF-8 questionnaires were collected continuously after completion of the three-month period and evaluated after one another three-month period. The results of the study were similar to comparable investigations; satisfaction values were generally high. Concerning the relationships between satisfaction scores and patients’ variables in the current study there appeared statistically significant correlations between the level of satisfaction and the severity of the disorder at a discharge time, measured with the CGI (Clinical Global Impression). It could be shown that less ill patients (at a discharge time) were more satisfied with the service obtained. Further, the greater the CGI-Reduction, i.e. the healthier the patients became during the treatment, the higher was their satisfaction. Moreover the patients without medication problems appeared more satisfied than the ones having such problems (side effects, poor effect). Furthermore, the relations between the satisfaction and certain diagnosis groups could be demonstrated: the patients with diagnose group F2 or F6 (by ICD-10) were statistically significant less satisfied with the treatment. However there were no significant associations between the satisfaction with psychiatric service and the variables gender, age, native language, number of former inpatient stays, treatment units, duration of a stay, school education, physical impairment, number of somatic diagnoses, length of the disease or psychotropic treatment (vs. none). The study showed that by comparably simple means an inquiry of the patient satisfaction is achievable in a department of psychiatry of a community hospital and can be implemented in the daily routine. The study concludes with a discussion of consequences and the relevance of the patients’ opinion assessment for the psychiatric treatment (treatment strategies and quality improving measures).