title: Patient satisfaction with care for urgent health problems: a survey of family practice patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patient satisfaction is an important health care outcome. This study compared patients' satisfaction with care received for an urgent health problem from their family physician, at an after-hours clinic in which their physician participated, at a walk-in clinic, at the emergency department, from telephone health advisory services, or from more than 1 of those services.
  
  
  METHODS
  We mailed a questionnaire to a random sample of patients from 36 family practices in Thunder Bay, Ontario. We elicited satisfaction with care for the most recent urgent health problem in the past 6 months on a 7-point scale (very dissatisfied to very satisfied).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 62.3% (5,884 of 9,397). Of the 5,722 eligible patients 1,342 (23.4%) reported an urgent health problem, and data were available for both services used and satisfaction for 1,227 patients. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported health status, satisfaction with care received for most recent urgent health problem was significantly higher among patients who visited or spoke to their family physician (mean 6.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.8-6.4) compared with all other services (all P <.004, adjusted for multiple comparisons), with the exception of patients who used the after-hours clinic affiliated with their physician, whose satisfaction was not significantly different (mean 5.6; 95% CI, 5.2-6.0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Satisfaction was highest for patients receiving care from their own family physician or their physician's after-hours clinic. These results are important for new primary care models that emphasize continuity and after-hours availability of family physicians.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. mhoward@mcmaster.ca
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Howard
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Goertzen
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Hutchison
authors: Janusz
authors: J
authors: Kaczorowski
authors: Kelly
authors: K
authors: Morris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data