title: Evaluating delivery of primary health care to military personnel during low-intensity conflict using a patient satisfaction survey.
abstract: The delivery of medical health care to soldiers serving in active front units in the Israeli Defense Forces requires the ability to adjust to different military activity settings. This study was conducted to compare patient satisfaction, as a tool for assessing quality of care, in different activity settings: training and Low-intensity conflict setting. A patient satisfaction survey was conducted simultaneously in battalions during low-intensity conflict and training activities. Data analysis showed that patients' perception of the quality of care they received and of medical staff attitude was higher in the conflict setting. Correlation analysis revealed that patients during conflict perceived outcome of care and accessibility as most important in evaluating overall satisfaction. We suggest that perception of high-quality medical care can be obtained during conflict conditions. Interestingly, in the conflict setting, the physical environment of the clinics appears to be less crucial to patient satisfaction than physician availability and medical outcome. These results may serve as a basis for changing health delivery systems by health policy makers.
authors.affiliation: Medical Branch, MC, Israeli Defense Forces, Israel.
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zimlichman
authors.forename: Yitshak
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kreiss
authors.forename: Dror
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mandel
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wartenfeld
authors.forename: Nisim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohana
authors.forename: Galia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cohen-Rosenberg
authors.forename: Yehezkel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Yaron
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bar-Dayan
authors.forename: Amrnon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014857:Warfare