title: Patients' experiences with hospital care in five countries.
abstract: Analysis of patient surveys carried out in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 1998-2000 revealed high rates of problems during inpatient hospital stays. Problems with information and education, coordination of care, respect for patients' preferences, emotional support, physical comfort, involvement of family and friends, and continuity and transition were prevalent in all five countries. These dimensions of patients' experience appear to be salient and relevant in each of the five countries, but attempts to develop international rankings based on this type of evidence will have to overcome a number of methodological problems.
authors.affiliation: Picker Institute Europe, and University of Oxford.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coulter
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cleary
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006302:Health Services Research; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013548:Sweden; D013557:Switzerland; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States