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.
Bentley College, Watham, MA.
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John
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