Patient ratings of the quality in Saskatchewan hospitals

Abstract

Patients are the recipients of the provision of healthcare and an invaluable source when evaluating the quality of healthcare provided in our hospitals. There is limited research evaluating patient perceptions of overall quality of healthcare. A larger study “Convergence and Divergence in Perspectives in Quality” represented the first Saskatchewan effort to explore patient perceptions and what aspects patients indicate as important when evaluating the provision of quality of care. In the larger study, patients hospitalized with one of four tracer conditions (cerebral vascular accident, myocardial infarction, prostate disease and hysterectomy) were surveyed about their involvement in and satisfaction with the provision of healthcare. The present study, using a data subset of the larger study, specifically explored patient’s perceptions on their involvement in decision-making, feelings of being well informed of one’s medical condition, and sources of health information. These perceptions were correlated with the overall ratings of quality of care. Findings indicated a moderately high overall rating of quality of care. Increased involvement in decision making regarding medical care and options for treatment, and the feelings of being fairly or well informed were associated with higher ratings of overall quality of care. While few of the correlations reached greater than moderate effect, it is still clear that opportunities for patients’ participation in decisions related to their medical care and patients’ feelings of being fairly or well informed contributed to overall perceptions of quality of care. The majority of patients preferred their doctor or nurse to provide information about their medical condition, thus indicating the human touch is still preferred. Nurses can use these results to advocate for time to ensure patients have access to correct information and are included in decisions about their care.