Patient’s Satisfaction Assessment With Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services in Private and Public Outpatient Units
Published Online: Jan 16, 2024
Page range: 91 - 99
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/arsm-2023-0014
Keywords
© 2023 Daniel Rafti et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Background
Medical rehabilitation, overseen by physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, is offered through contracts with national health insurance or private payment in various healthcare settings. Assessing changes in healthcare services is vital to improving patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and overall quality of life. This study focuses on patient satisfaction and preferences in public and private medical rehabilitation services within outpatient institutions of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Methods
Conducted from April to July 2023, this cross-sectional study surveyed 100 patients (60% private healthcare system, 40% public healthcare system) using a 14-item questionnaire. The questionnaire covered various aspects, including treatment quality, information accessibility, and waiting times. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel.
Results
Patients, particularly females over 40, showed higher referral rates for medical rehabilitation services. Patient satisfaction assessments indicated positive perceptions of the quality of services in both public and private outpatient institutions.
Discussion
Privately treated patients expressed greater satisfaction with the quality of medical services, treatment information, accessibility, waiting times, and medical equipment compared to those treated publicly. Despite coexisting health systems, patient perceptions of public institutions tend to be negative.
Conclusion
Overall, patients in private rehabilitation institutions reported higher satisfaction levels. Study limitations include a small participant pool, emphasizing the need for broader research to generalize findings nationally. This research sheds light on patient preferences and satisfaction, contributing to ongoing efforts to enhance medical rehabilitation services.