La misurazione della soddisfazione nei servizi ospedalieri: il caso del Policlinico S.Orsola-Mapighi.

Hospitals and health service providers are currently being pressed by policy makers and public opinion to fulfill patient satisfaction and achieve high quality standards. Patient satisfaction is a way of describing and assessing the level of hospital service from the patient’s point of view. We introduce Rasch’s approach to measurement, show how it can help define patient satisfaction, and succeed in developing an efficient instrument for measuring it. This study investigates the questionnaire currently adopted in an italian hospital. The results confirm the internal consistency of the items. The patient’s relationship with the nursing staff and doctors is the most important element in the patient satisfaction scale. Human qualities always rate higher than technical aspects, and courtesy, helpfulness, cordiality and kindness are the elements that influence patients’ judgments the most.