Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physiotherapy care in Australia: an international comparison

Abstract

Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physiotherapy care in Australia is high and comparable with Northern Europe, North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Comparison of data between Australia and the US indicates that while some determinants of patient satisfaction are common, country-specific differences also exist.

Patient Satisfaction Measurement by MedRisk Instrument

“…Thus, we can say that the degree of satisfaction found in this study was high, with an average of 4.75 for the rheumatology sector and 4.52 for the pediatrics sector. Studies conducted in Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Maceió in Brazil, as well as in India and Australia, show similar results (8,12,(15)(16)(17) .…”

“…The environment transmits, in the form of small signs, the care policy offered by the institution (6) . Most users of this study reported feeling "much better" after starting treatment, however, this item did not correlate with overall satisfaction (8,18) . In this sense, the insertion of a global measure of health status did not show relevance for the measurement of service satisfaction, and in addition, they appear to be distinct constructs (12) .…”

“…The data found in this research are consistent with those found in other studies, demonstrating that the items with the highest satisfaction are related to the therapist-patient interaction and the respect involved in it. And these items showed greater correlation with overall satisfaction (8,12,15,18,20) . Patient's satisfaction is directly related to patient-therapist interaction.…”

“…(6) Thus, the ability of therapists to maintain communication and expose about treatment is among the most important items on the part of users who express their satisfaction with the attributes and attention offered to them, since they feel favored by the treatment received (9) . It was observed that the lower satisfaction is usually related to the physical environment (8,12) , but the comfort of the waiting area showed a modest correlation with the measures of global satisfaction (15) . However, this provides an important direction when achieving excellence in patient-centered care, since the physical environment emerges as an active and participatory means of caring, developing positive emotional states in relation to treatment expectations.…”

“…Therefore, they are factors that can alter satisfaction indexes (3) . The patient's satisfaction significance is further emphasized by the evidence that satisfied patients are more likely to adhere to treatment and achieve better quality of life (8) . This fact is justified by the physiotherapist establishing a relationship with the patient revealing interest in his improvement, clarifying his doubts and explaining what was done in the treatment.…”