Understanding patient satisfaction with family doctor care.
OBJECTIVE
Patient satisfaction is receiving increased attention in the evaluation of health care quality. However, qualitative methods have seldom been used to study patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to explore how satisfaction is understood from the perspective of patients receiving care from family doctors.


METHODS
We used a qualitative approach consisting of in-depth interviews with 36 patients attending clinics in Poland. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and content analysis performed.


RESULTS
There was no single definition of satisfaction among study participants; however, some core characteristics of satisfaction emerged. These characteristics were: (1) good doctor-patient interaction; (2) health improvement or resolution of health problems; (3) fulfillment of prior expectations; (4) availability of health care; (5) combination of multiple characteristics; and (6) absence of dissatisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Because patients have differing concepts of satisfaction with health care provided by family doctors, quality assessments should focus on components of satisfaction whereas questions about satisfaction itself should be avoided.
Marcinowicz
Ludmila
L
Department of Family Medicine and Community Nursing, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. ludmila.marcinowicz@umwb.edu.pl
Chlabicz
Slawomir
S
Grebowski
Ryszard
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011044:Poland; D011320:Primary Health Care; D055815:Young Adult