Patients' satisfaction with psychiatric inpatient care

Background: Patient satisfaction with medical treatment is important, and although in mental health the literature on the topic is scant, awareness of the issue is rapidly growing. Aim: Evaluation of patient satisfaction among hospitalized psychiatric patients. Methods: 100 consenting patients (47 men and 53 women) were surveyed and completed a questionnaire regarding satisfaction with psychiatric care. Setting: Fifty-nine percent of the patients were in a new modern building, 41 % were in an older hospital building; 21% were in a psycho-geriatric ward. The various settings allowed comparison across different environments. Results: Most participants expressed mild general satisfaction. The overall rating was 3.40 +/- 0.43 (range 1-5). The ratings were similar regarding the various components of treatment: satisfaction with the nursing staff, physical conditions on the ward and treatment per se. Positive correlation was found between satisfaction with nursing and overall ratings. Conclusion: Inpatients were mildly satisfied with treatment. However, no correlation was found between satisfaction and either the type of case manager or the physical conditions in the ward. Further research is needed to characterize specific variables that may influence patient satisfaction with psychiatric care. In addition, the question of whether self-report evaluation questionnaires are appropriate for the inpatient psychiatric population should be addressed.