Relationship between quality of diabetes care and patient satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE

Patient satisfaction is regarded as a component of the quality of medical care. We examined the association between quality of care and patient satisfaction.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Population-based random sample in North Carolina, United States, 1997.

PARTICIPANTS

591 African-Americans aged > or = 18 years with self-reported diabetes were interviewed for providers' delivery of 10 preventive measures and patients' performance of four preventive measures for diabetes care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Satisfaction with health care providers with respect to 11 items, on a 4-point scale (excellent, good, fair, and poor). Average satisfaction scores were compared according to levels of quality of care.

RESULTS

Patient satisfaction was positively associated with income, employment, diabetes education, ease of getting care during the last year, having health care coverage and having one physician for diabetes care (P < 0.05 for each). Adjusted for age, sex, education, employment, and income, 8 of 10 preventive care practices by providers during the previous year--monitoring of concentrations of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and cholesterol; performing eye, foot, and gum examinations; and physician counseling on self-monitoring of blood glucose concentrations, exercise, and weight reduction--were associated with higher satisfaction scores (P < 0.05). Patients' performance of three of four preventive practices--taking medications for diabetes as prescribed, performing daily self-examination of the feet, and going for an eye examination with dilation of the pupils--were also associated with higher satisfaction scores (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Quality of diabetes care was positively associated with patient satisfaction with provider of care. Prospective studies are needed to confirm this association and its direction.