Background: What illness-related, psychosocial or treatment-related factors predict treatment satisfaction following hospitalisation for surgery?
Material and methods: 482 patients electively admitted to three different surgical departments at a university hospital. Assessments were made before admission, at discharge and two and four months after discharge.
Results: The central treatment-related measures were global treatment satisfaction, perceived quality of contact with nurses and doctors, and the information received. Out of 49% explained variance in global treatment satisfaction, one half was explained by the quality of contact with nurses. Only a small portion of the variance in quality of contact with nurses and doctors could be accounted for by the characteristics of the patients. Much of the unexplained variance must relate to characteristics and skills of the medical staff. Treatment information was predicted by characteristics of the patients, their illness and situation in life, and by treatment-related factors. Quality of contact with the nurses was the strongest predictor of satisfaction with the information received.
Interpretation: The experienced quality of contact with nurses appears to be the major determinant of both global treatment satisfaction and satisfaction with the information received. Among other predictors, the quality of contact with doctors is also important. The relationship between patients and caregivers can probably be better utilised to improve treatment satisfaction.