Evidence of a non-linear influence of patient age on satisfaction with hospital care.
BACKGROUND
Patient age is the main socio-demographic factor influencing patient satisfaction with care but the nature of the relationship between age and patient satisfaction is controversial.


OBJECTIVE
This study aims to clarify whether the association of age with satisfaction is linear or shows some other configuration.


METHODS
Data were obtained from two different satisfaction studies conducted in 27 short-stay teaching hospitals. Study 1 included 1547 inpatients, who completed the EQS-H questionnaire at the time of discharge. Study 2 included 7624 inpatients interviewed by phone at home after discharge, who answered the SAPHORA questionnaire. On the basis of the results of the exploratory analysis, three models for adjustment of age on satisfaction were compared: a simple linear model, a five-group step function and a linear model with a change in slope.


RESULTS
The most suitable model for adjusting patient age to satisfaction scores for quality of medical and nursing care, whether for the EQS-H or the SAPHORA scale, was not a linear relationship: patient age was linearly and positively correlated to satisfaction before 65 years and negatively thereafter. Adjustment of patient age to accommodation and premises satisfaction scores proved to be different, closer to a linear relationship.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest considering the patient age variable as a non-linear factor for adjusting satisfaction scores, in particular in relation to care. Further studies are needed to confirm the evidence of a threshold around 65 years beyond which satisfaction scores for the quality of medical and nursing care decrease.
Moret
Leila
L
Public Health Department, University Hospital of Nantes, Nantes Cedex, France. lmoret@chu-nantes.fr
Nguyen
Jean-Michel
JM
Volteau
Christelle
C
Falissard
Bruno
B
Lombrail
Pierre
P
Gasquet
Isabelle
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000592:standards; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care