Determinants of patient satisfaction with hospital health care in psychiatry: results based on the SATISPSY-22 questionnaire

Abstract

Xavier Y Zendjidjian,1,2 Pascal Auquier,1 Christophe Lançon,1,3 Anderson Loundou,1 Nathalie Parola,4 Melanie Faugère,3 Laurent Boyer1 1Aix-Marseille University, Public Health, Chronic Diseases and Quality of Life, Research Unit, Marseille, France; 2Department of Psychiatry, Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, La Conception University Hospital, Marseille, France; 3Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Public Sector 6, 4Department of Addictology, Day Hospital, Sainte-Marguerite University Hospital, Marseille, France 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 (ß=0.15). Clinical improvement was moderately associated with higher global satisfaction (ß=–0.15), higher satisfaction with quality of care (ß=–0.19), and higher satisfaction with food (ß=–0.18). Stronger associations with satisfaction were found for care characteristics, particularly the therapeutic alliance with all of the satisfaction dimensions (ß, 0.20–0.43) except food, and for seclusion with global satisfaction (ß=–0.33) and personal experience (ß=–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 (ß=–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. Keywords: satisfaction, determinants, inpatient, hospital, psychiatry