title: Quality perception in the outpatient area of an Urology department. Can we improve it?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test patient's satisfaction after consultation in the outpatient area of the Urology Department in a public hospital using a structured interview.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (CAM) standard interview form modified to include three questions related to the implementation of a 'one-visit'policy and nurses' empowerment. Patients' opinions were gathered with respect to waiting times in the waiting room, facilities, and staff kindness and professionalism. Sample size was estimated in 386 patients. The effect of every predictive factor on the overall satisfaction was tested using the chi square test. To define the effect of every variable in presence of the rest of covariates a logistic regression model was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participation reached 65.5%. Overall, 86.4% of the patients were satisfied. Irrespectively of the professional and personal style, the quality perception was homogeneous (p=ns). Multivariate analysis couldn't disclose any independent predictive variable. Only the perception in the item 'overall time available for the consultation' approached statistical significance (p=0.08), with patients scoring high in this variable getting the highest overall satisfaction scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no personal or professional style particularly related with patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, there is a slight trend towards a higher satisfaction when patients feel enough time has been spent in their consultation. The new organizational resources (one-visit clinic and nurses' empowerment) are both welcome but are not clearly related to patient satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain. apaez.hflr@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Páez
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Redondo
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Juárez
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cachón
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manresa
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gálvez
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rendón
authors.forename: Rommel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alarcón
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Durán
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000592:standards*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013030:Spain; D014573:Urology Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult