Factors contributing to patient satisfaction with medical rehabilitation in German hospitals

The objective of this study was to quantify overall patient satisfaction, through the identification of the particular aspects of patient satisfaction that were most likely to cause patients to recommend the rehabilitation hospital to others. The research entailed analysing secondary data from a quality improvement programme for medical rehabilitation, conducted from 1997 until 2004, in seven rehabilitation hospitals in Germany. Overall patient satisfaction and several potential predictors were examined in relation to 120,825 patients who had received inpatient medical rehabilitation. Recommending the rehabilitation hospital to others is a measure of overall patient satisfaction with the rehabilitation. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors that predicted patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction at discharge from the rehabilitation hospital. Overall satisfaction was mainly determined by the general atmosphere in the hospital, successful rehabilitation and the medical care. The general atmosphere was strongly associated with admission procedures, accommodation, catering, service, organisation and nursing care. In conclusion, the results suggest that in order to increase the rate of recommendation, rehabilitation hospitals should aim for not only high quality in medical care, but also the creation of a pleasant atmosphere.