Investigation of Patient Satisfaction Level in Physical Therapy Units: Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction: Physiotherapy and rehabilitation (PTR) approaches aim to support patients' earlier recovery as well as improvement of their independence and quality of life. The higher patient satisfaction level reflects the higher quality of the health care service. This study planned to determine the factors related to satisfaction levels of the patients treated in PTR units. Material and Methods:The study included 100 individuals who were consulted in PTR units. Following the recording of demographics and pain characteristics, Physical Therapy Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PTPSQ) and Beck Depression Scale (BDI) evaluated the satisfaction and depression levels, respectively. Results: Women had higher satisfaction levels. While groups differed significantly in terms of their occupational characteristics (p<0.05), there was not a significant difference in terms of other demographics (p>0.05). Increasing the positive effects of the treatment on pain had a significant effect on the increase in satisfaction level (p<0.001). Those with low BDI scores significantly had higher levels of satisfaction. BDI scores had a statistically significant relationship with education level, disease type, presence of other diseases and effectiveness of treatment on pain (p<0.05). Conclusion: Evaluation of gender, occupational status, the effectiveness of treatment on pain and depression to determine patient satisfaction in PTR services is of great importance. The lower level of education, the type of illness and the presence of other disorders should be handled as secondary effectors. The treatment should be continued with multidisciplinary teamwork to ensure patient satisfaction and increase recovery.