title: Patient satisfaction with care in epilepsy: how much do we know?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Satisfaction with epilepsy care (SEC) encompasses care delivery, expectations, attitudes, and disease course. Through a systematic review of the evidence, we explore how and where the SEC of patients is being measured, the level of SEC overall and in specific domains, and its relationship to clinical and demographic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE using medical subject headings and keywords related to satisfaction with care and epilepsy in adults and children, in all languages. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full-text articles. We examined the clinical context and patient characteristics, type and content of satisfaction scales, and reported outcomes. Abstracted variables were grouped for descriptive purposes and presented as medians and proportions when the data allowed it.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 25 included studies (6,336 patients), 88% were performed in the United States or the United Kingdom. Nine studies (36%) used validated instruments and 16 studies (64%) used nonvalidated instruments. For SEC domains reported in >1 study, the median proportion (interquartile range) of patients satisfied with epilepsy care was 86% (17%) for overall satisfaction with care, 85% (24%) for interpersonal skills, 78% (3%) for access to care, 67% (32%) for communication, and 65% (15%) for knowledge/technical skills. Communication and clinicians' knowledge was important in all settings. Patients seen in specialized settings and those receiving more and better information had higher SEC ratings. There was no consistent association between SEC and quality of care indicators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data on SEC have been reported infrequently. Patients are least satisfied with communication, perceived skills, and knowledge of care providers. Epilepsy-specific SEC tools have neither been validated nor do they contain many of the important domains identified by this review. The relationship between SEC and indicators of quality of care requires further study. Measures aimed at improving education and communication could improve SEC.
authors: Clinical Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors: Natalie
authors: N
authors: Wiebe
authors: Kirsten M
authors: KM
authors: Fiest
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Dykeman
authors: Xiaorong
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Nathalie
authors: N
authors: Jette
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Patten
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Wiebe
mesh_terms: D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Consumer satisfaction; Epilepsy; Outcomes in health care services; Patient-centered care