Satisfaction of psychiatric inpatients in China: clinical and institutional correlates in a national sample

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Feng Jiang, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Jeffrey Rakofsky, Emory University; Huixuan Zhou, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Linlin Hu, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Tingfang Liu, Tsinghua University; Shichao Wu, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Pengyu Zhao, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Huanzhong Liu, Anhui Medical University; Yuanli Liu, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Yilang Tang, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-01-11
• Publisher: BMC (part of Springer Nature)
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2019 The Author(s).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2011-0
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Psychiatry
• ISSN: 1471-244X
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 19
• End Page: 19
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was supported by a grant from the Beijing Medical and Health Foundation (MH180924).
• Keywords: STAFF; Psychiatry; DISORDERS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; EXPECTATIONS; HEALTH-CARE; Science & Technology; IMPACT; PATIENT SATISFACTION; DETERMINANTS; SERVICES; CONSULTATIONS
• Research Categories: Psychology, Clinical

Abstract

Background: Surveying patients' satisfaction is essential to improve patient-centered care, however, studies on satisfaction and their correlates among psychiatric inpatients are rare in China. This study aimed to measure satisfaction levels of psychiatric inpatients in a national sample and to examine individual and institutional correlates. Methods: As part of the National Survey for the Evaluation of Psychiatric Hospital Performance, psychiatric inpatients from 32 tertiary psychiatric hospitals in 29 Chinese provinces were interviewed on the day of discharge by trained research staff. Satisfaction was assessed using a five-item questionnaire. Patients' sociodemographic and clinical information were manually retrieved from medical records and institutional data were provided by participating hospitals. Multilevel linear regression was used to assess factors associated with level of satisfaction. Results: Among 1663 inpatients, the reported satisfaction levels were high, with a mean score of 23.3 ± 2.4 out of 25. Education level was positively associated with global satisfaction, satisfaction with costs, and satisfaction with privacy protection. Treatment response was associated with global satisfaction and with the doctor-patient communication subscore. The number of psychotherapy sessions was positively associated with the privacy protection subscore (coefficient = 0.0, P = 0.046). The Global Assessment of Function score was positively associated with the doctor-patient communication subscore (coefficient = 0.0, P = 0.003). Total satisfaction scores and all five subscores were positively associated with hospital-level factors, and patients discharged from hospitals with better staffing and resources reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction. Conclusion: Overall, psychiatric inpatients in China were satisfied with the services they received. To further improve patient satisfaction, mental health professionals should optimize their patients' treatment response as much as possible before discharge and provide more psychological treatment during the hospitalization. The government should also provide more resources to increase the number of mental health professionals (nurses, psychologists, and psychiatrists) working in psychiatric hospitals.