Patient satisfaction with care for urgent health problems: a survey of family practice patients.
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.
Howard
Michelle
M
Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. mhoward@mcmaster.ca
Goertzen
James
J
Hutchison
Brian
B
Kaczorowski
Janusz
J
Morris
Kelly
K
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