Quality in health services; measurement of patients' satisfaction in a cancer hospital.
OBJECTIVE
The implementation of quality standards in the hospitals constitutes the principal component leading to the introduction of the Total Quality Management which will improve the offered health services. The measurement of patients' satisfaction leads to the evaluation of the offered health services, so that the sectors that need improvement are pointed out.


METHODS
A prospective study was conducted, comprising 22 patients hospitalized in the Greek public cancer hospital "Metaxa" (systematic sampling technique was used). The patients filled in a specially designed questionnaire, answering a line of questions related with the conditions of hospitalization. The anthropometric characteristics of the sample regarding gender, educational background, age and income were also measured. The statistical analysis of the questionnaire was based on the Total Patients' Satisfaction Index (TPSI), which measures the summation of patient's satisfaction in 20 questions graded from 1 to 5. Due to the fact that this was a social research a p-value <or=0.10 was considered statistically significant.


RESULTS
A statistically significant positive correlation between TPSI and the patients' will to speak positively for the hospital was registered (r=0.75, p<0.001). On the contrary, a statistically significant negative correlation between TPSI and patients'will to have been hospitalised in a private hospital was seen (r=-0.29, p<0.001). Applying Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), a statistically significant difference was observed (p=0.10) in TPSI between the different levels of income scale.


CONCLUSIONS
The higher income scale patients give smaller grades in TPSI than the lower income scale patients who give higher grades.
Vastardi
M
M
Citizen's Assistance Office, Metaxa Cancer Hospital, Piraeus, Greece. mariavastardi@yahoo.gr
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires