Patient satisfaction in home health care.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To assess the current use of patient satisfaction measures in home health care and to examine the reliability and validity of current measures of patient satisfaction in home health care.

BACKGROUND

Patient satisfaction has been one of the widely used measures in home health care as an indicator of quality of care. A few efforts have been made to develop psychometrically sound patient satisfaction scales for use in home health care.

DESIGN

A critical review of the literature.

METHODS

Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify the studies or publications that measured and addressed patient satisfaction and its measurement in home health care.

RESULTS

The review of the literature showed that patient satisfaction measures have been used in the evaluation of care programmes including rehabilitation programmes, discharge and home follow-up programmes, care process and management practices. Also, patient satisfaction measures were used to evaluate new care protocols and treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Home healthcare agencies need valid and reliable patient satisfaction scales. Frameworks of patient satisfaction are still in their early developmental stage. Only some of the variables related to patient satisfaction are explained by many frameworks.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Home healthcare mangers and researchers need to take in consideration the reliability and validity of measures and tools of patient satisfaction.