title: Patient satisfaction after pulmonary resection for lung cancer: a multicenter comparative analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patient satisfaction reflects the perception of the customer about the level of quality of care received during the episode of hospitalization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the levels of satisfaction of patients submitted to lung resection in two different thoracic surgical units.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective analysis of 280 consecutive patients submitted to pulmonary resection for neoplastic disease in two centers (center A: 139 patients; center B: 141 patients; 2009-2010). Patients' satisfaction was assessed at discharge through the EORTC-InPatSat32 module, a 32-item, multi-scale self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Each scale (ranging from 0 to 100 in score) was compared between the two units. Multivariable regression and bootstrap were used to verify factors associated with the patients' general satisfaction (dependent variable).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients from unit B reported a higher general satisfaction (91.5 vs. 88.3, p = 0.04), mainly due to a significantly higher satisfaction in the doctor-related scales (doctors' technical skill: p = 0.001; doctors' interpersonal skill: p = 0.008; doctors' availability: p = 0.005, and doctors information provision: p = 0.0006). Multivariable regression analysis and bootstrap confirmed that level of care in unit B (p = 0.006, bootstrap frequency 60%) along with lower level of education of the patient population (p = 0.02, bootstrap frequency 62%) were independent factors associated with a higher general patient satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We were able to show a different level of patient satisfaction in patients operated on in two different thoracic surgery units. A reduced level of patient satisfaction may trigger changes in the management policy of individual units in order to meet patients' expectations and improve organizational efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Ospedali Riuniti, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xiumé
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Rocca
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sabbatini
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martucci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires