Patients Satisfaction for Gynecological Surgeries: A Study Comparing Patients’ and Caregivers’ Perspective

Abstract

Patient satisfaction is not always prioritized in Swedish healthcare since it belongs to the public sector and is a non-profit organization. Neither is gynecological care the area that is most prioritized and because of that, it is suffering. This study addresses the department of gynecological care and their patients. The aim is to examine the performance and importance of factors affecting patient satisfaction. By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, a presentation of which factors are perceived to be the most important with respect to patient satisfaction will be delivered. Furthermore, an investigation of if there is a gap between the patients’ and caregivers’ perception will be carried out. The methods are based on the theories of Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 and the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The empirical findings resulted in a high satisfaction for the current performance of the gynecological care. Most patients seem to perceive the interpersonal manner components as being beneficial for the gynecological flow. Four variables were found to be the most crucial for both patients and caregivers to attain patient satisfaction in the empirical research on whether there is a difference between the two groups. These include respect, competency, listening to the patient, and providing care when necessary. In other words, there was not much of a difference in the two groups' assessments of what matters most for patient satisfaction. However, the results can be used as a confirmation that the caregivers understand their patients well and the weight of importance for the factors can be used as a guideline of what the caregivers need to focus on to increase the patient satisfaction further. It serves as a foundation for understanding patients in future strategic decisions in improvement work.