Patient's perceptions of quality in a Northern Ireland hospital trust: a focus group study

Inpatient satisfaction: an analysis of Malaysian public hospitals

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an empirical analysis on inpatient satisfaction in Malaysian public hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

A self‐administered questionnaire was the main data collection method. Altogether, 23 hospitals throughout Peninsular Malaysia participated in the survey. Cluster sampling was used in the selection of the respondent hospitals, while convenience sampling was used in administering the survey.

Findings

Three factors of inpatient satisfaction were extracted, which were clinical and physical dimensions of service, and additional facilities for patients and family members. Inpatient satisfaction was found to be higher for the clinical dimension than for the physical dimension. Overall, inpatient satisfaction was high, as reflected by the high mean score of the variables, although caution was expressed in interpreting the findings, particularly the low expectations of patients to begin with.

Research limitations/implications

The research was limited to inpatients of Malaysian public hospitals. A thorough evaluation of the nation's public healthcare delivery system would need to include outpatient services as well.

Originality/value

The paper provides an empirical analysis on inpatient satisfaction in Malaysian public hospitals. This allows policy makers to evaluate the level of public healthcare delivery service in the country and therefore assist in policy decision‐making and implementation.

An Empirical Exploration of Hospital Service Quality Assessment Criteria in China

This paper reports on a research project within the context of the Chinese healthcare sector. From a functional quality aspect, the research identifies, selects and confirms the service quality assessment criteria suitable for Chinese hospitals via literature search, focus group and survey investigation; the numbers of the criteria have also been reduced based on principal component analysis; then through importance-performance analysis, provides further understanding/prioritisation on the criteria and also groups them accordingly to reflect their influence on service quality. The research produces a set of appropriate service quality criteria suitable for evaluating hospitals' performance in a Chinese context. Meanwhile, the learning obtained from the research and the grouped criteria (quality performance indicators) can support consequential empirical research projects for obtaining more insights into running hospital businesses, and provide guidance to a wider range of Chinese hospitals on their business operations. They can also be used to guide foreign healthcare providers on developing/implementing their business management strategies while planning to enter the Chinese healthcare marketplace.

Chronic low back pain: Patients' experiences, opinions and expectations for clinical management

PURPOSE

To explore the experiences, opinions and treatment expectations of chronic low back pain (LBP) patients in order to identify what components of treatment they consider as being of most value.

METHOD

Three stand-alone focus groups were convened. All participants were experiencing chronic non-specific LBP (>3 months). Each group was facilitated by an independent moderator, and guided by a series of pre-determined questions. Participants were encouraged to freely air their personal opinions during the discussion. Transcribed data were organized into a series of 'categories' using the Qualitative Solutions for Researchers Nudist 6 package from which five common themes emerged.

RESULTS

Each participant had typically experienced a variety of failed treatment approaches. Whilst the value of advice and exercise was recognized, participants typically questioned the appropriateness of such treatment given the fact that a precise diagnosis was rarely given, and symptoms often recurred. As a result, poor adherence with advice and exercise appeared to be a key factor limiting the potential effectiveness of long-term self-management strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants considered appropriate exercise (despite pain) and activity modification as important components for effective long-term self-management of symptoms. To enhance treatment effectiveness, participants welcomed the introduction of individually tailored advice and exercise programmes, with supervision and follow-up support, along with a better understanding of the physical and emotional impact of chronic LBP by practitioners.