title: How the rehabilitation environment influences patient perception of service quality: a qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify elements of the environment that patients consider when evaluating the quality of a care experience in outpatient rehabilitation settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study using a modified grounded theory approach. Data collection used semistructured interviewing during 9 focus groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three postacute ambulatory centers in metropolitan areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults (N=57; 33 men, 24 women) undergoing outpatient rehabilitation for musculoskeletal conditions/injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants perceived the quality of rehabilitation service on the basis of their experiences with environmental factors, including 3 physical factors (facility design, ambient conditions, and social factors) and 4 organizational factors (duration of attendance, interruptions during delivery of care, waiting times in the sequence of treatment, and patient safety).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identifies the specific environmental attributes that patients consider important when evaluating the quality of outpatient rehabilitation settings and develops a patient-based framework for assessing the overall perception of service quality. Further research should work to develop self-report questionnaires about patient experiences with the environment in rehabilitation services to provide empirical and quantitative evidence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. mirapeix@um.es
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Medina-Mirapeix
authors.forename: M Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Del Baño-Aledo
authors.forename: Silvana L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Oliveira-Sousa
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Escolar-Reina
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012046:Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires