Referent opinion and health care satisfaction.
The author examines the influence that referent opinion--one's own opinion and the recommendations of relevant others--has on patient perceptions of the quality of care they receive at hospitals. A study of discharged hospital patients reveals that the demographic profile of a patient also has a mediating influence on this effect. Hospital administrators are urged to pay close attention to the relationship between types of referents patients use and how they form their evaluations.
John
J
J
Bentley College, Watham, MA.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003625:Data Collection; D003657:Decision Making; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D015285:Hospital-Patient Relations; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data