title: Patient satisfaction surveys in dental school clinics: a review and comparison.
abstract: Health care is becoming more patient-centered and, as a result, patients' experiences of care and assessment of satisfaction are taken more seriously. Patient satisfaction influences treatment cooperation, and better cooperation leads to healthier patients in the long term. This generalization clearly applies in the dental school clinic setting. Furthermore, dental school clinics' administrators and clinicians should know about the dimensions of their patient satisfaction in order to provide the highest quality of care. The aim of this study was to review studies published between 1980 and March 2014 to identify the dimensions used to measure patients' satisfaction when they receive services in dental school clinics. The PubMed database was used to access published studies using patient satisfaction surveys in dental school clinics, and the dimensions used in these surveys were then categorized. Through several stages of searching in PubMed, the authors selected 41 articles from a total of 730; after further critical appraisal, nine articles were retained. Five dimensions included in patient surveys were identified: quality, interaction, access, environment, and cost. Determining the dimensions used in patient satisfaction surveys in dental school clinics can assist academic dental institutions in providing the highest quality of care.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Ebn Ahmady is Associate Professor, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; at the time of this study, Dr. Pakkhesal was a PhD candidate, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; Dr. Zafarmand is Associate Professor, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; and Dr. Lando is Professor, Epidemiology and Community Health Department, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Arezoo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebn Ahmady
authors.affiliation: Dr. Ebn Ahmady is Associate Professor, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; at the time of this study, Dr. Pakkhesal was a PhD candidate, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; Dr. Zafarmand is Associate Professor, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; and Dr. Lando is Professor, Epidemiology and Community Health Department, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota. m_pakkhesal@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pakkhesal
authors.affiliation: Dr. Ebn Ahmady is Associate Professor, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; at the time of this study, Dr. Pakkhesal was a PhD candidate, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; Dr. Zafarmand is Associate Professor, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; and Dr. Lando is Professor, Epidemiology and Community Health Department, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: A Hamid
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Zafarmand
authors.affiliation: Dr. Ebn Ahmady is Associate Professor, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; at the time of this study, Dr. Pakkhesal was a PhD candidate, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; Dr. Zafarmand is Associate Professor, Community Oral Health Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; and Dr. Lando is Professor, Epidemiology and Community Health Department, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Harry Alan
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Lando
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012575:Schools, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: dental education; dental school; dental school clinics; patient satisfaction