Summary
Patients’ involvement in all decision processes is becoming increasingly important in modern healthcare. Patient satisfaction is a sensitive measure of a well‐functioning health service system. The objective of this review is to discuss patient satisfaction as part of outcome quality, to define the somewhat abstract term ‘satisfaction’, and to discuss the role of surrogate markers within the field of satisfaction with anaesthesia care. We critically discuss what is relevant to satisfy patients with anaesthesia care, and we provide guidance on improving satisfaction.
Perception of the anaesthetist and satisfaction with 'Continuity of personal care by anaesthetist' were significantly increased by the introduction of a single postoperative visit by the anaesthetist compared with no visit at all. Overall satisfaction with anaesthesia was unchanged.
The response rate is significantly lower at 9 weeks compared with 1 and 5 weeks after discharge. The total mean problem score remains unchanged but certain fields show fewer problems after 9 weeks compared with 1 and 5 weeks. Questionnaires on patient satisfaction with anaesthesia care should be sent within 5 weeks of discharge.
Summary
The construction of a new, valid and reliable questionnaire to measure patient satisfaction is a complex and time‐consuming task. It must follow a rigorous, step‐by‐step approach, and should as a minimum include elements of content validity, criterion validity, construct validity and reliability. The objective of this review is to present a protocol for the construction of a psychometric questionnaire, supplemented by practical aspects for researchers and clinicians.
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