No abstract

This article examines the extent to which older adult patients' perceptions of inpatient dimensions of care experiences are associated with their overall satisfaction. A secondary objective is to determine if these specific care experiences differed between elderly female and male patients. Patient satisfaction data from 6,021 older patients (65 years of age and older) were collected by using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey through telephone interviews of older patients who were recently discharged. Multiple linear regression analyses with older patients' HCAHPS dimensions (Communication With Nurses, Communication With Doctors, Responsiveness of Hospital Staff, Communication About Medicines, Cleanliness of the Hospital Environment, and Quietness of Hospital Environment) and gender were conducted while controlling for self-rated health status, age, race, and education. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that all of the HCAHPS dimensions were significantly associated with overall satisfaction. Older female patients reported substantially more positive global evaluations than their male counterparts. However, for older male patients, Communication With Doctors was more influential in their ratings of overall satisfaction than for older female patients. For older female patients, Communication With Nurses was more influential in their ratings of overall satisfaction than for older male patients.

Patient satisfaction and how it is measured is an important field of study in healthcare. Consequently, there have been many patient satisfaction studies. However, there is a lack of studies that focused on how male and female patients perceive, or weigh, their overall satisfaction. Determining the weights of these attributes by gender is an important outcome to determine overall patient satisfaction and quality of care. Data were collected by applying the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey instrument to record regular patient experience at 70 United States hospitals. The data were collected between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, and there are 43,938 cases in the data set. This study found that all five of the attributes (Nursing Care, Physician Care, Staff Care, Room, and Help) had an association with patient satisfaction. Among them, nursing Care had the largest influence on patient satisfaction of all of the five attributes. This study also showed a statistically significant interaction effect by gender for the interaction between Nursing care x Gender, Physician care x Gender, and Help x Gender. Female patients rated their relationship with their nurses as being more important to their overall satisfaction, while male patients rated their relationship with their doctor as being more important to overall satisfaction. Male patients also rated their relationship with help as being more important to overall satisfaction when compared with the results from female patients. Suggestions to healthcare managers are also discussed.

A mobile app, PTT Advisor, may contribute to better test ordering and diagnosis, serve as a learning tool for diagnostic evaluation of certain clinical disorders, and improve patient outcomes. Similar methods could be useful for evaluating apps aimed at improving testing and diagnosis for other conditions.