Factors influencing the inpatients satisfaction in public hospitals: A systematic review

Objective: The aim of the current study is designing a model for patient satisfaction and defining priority factors that impact patient satisfaction of healthcare services. Method: The preliminary literature search was undertaken in December 2014. A subsequent search was carried out in October 2015, which covered a majority of databases including PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and Magiran. Studies related to inpatients in hospitals included and related to specific area were excluded. No time bound was applied. Two of the authors independently appraised the quality of studies, and subsequently, the grouping of the variables was done using MAXqda 12 software, and the analysis was done through vote - counting method. Result: Out of 1315 articles, 85 articles were chosen for final consideration. Most of which have been carried out in developed countries. The main factors affecting consumer satisfaction in hospitals were grouped into two categories. 1- Patient attribute factors: that involved expectations, health status, demographic and socioeconomic. 2- Health system factors: that involved service quality, hospital features, staff satisfaction and insurance. Conclusion: In this study the risk of bias for each study not researched. It has been contended that the construct of consumer satisfaction is a multidimensional and subjective one. The finding of the current study suggests that all these variables be considered when evaluating patient satisfaction. The evaluation process should be performed cautiously as service providers have little direct influence over patient attribute factors.