Background: Quality assessment measures include user and performance evaluations. User satisfaction comprises one of the most important variables in this evaluation. This study is aimed at evaluating the degree of satisfaction among the users of institutional healthcare services by way of the opinions provided thereby.
Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at fifteen hospitals in Hidalgo, Mexico by means of an anonymous, confidential survey. The chi-square test, the t-Student test, the min./max. value and the Dixon methods, the Kolmogorov-Smimov (K-S) normalcy test and unconditional logic regression were used.
Results: The degree of satisfaction was 15.06%. The perception of poor quality related to this dissatisfaction was 10.8% (P<0.05). A total of 18.5% stated dissatisfaction, wishing not to request care at the same hospital again in the future, 65% thereof being related to poor quality (p<0.05). Dissatisfaction is related to information being omitted concerning their ailments. Odds ratio 1.87 CI 95% 1.59-2.26), physician's less than friendly attitude (Odds ratio 3.36 CI 95% 2.82 -3.74) complicated office visit process (Odds ratio 2.49, CI 2.11-5.41), perception of poor quality (Odds ratio 4.16 IC 3.6- 4.8), being subsequent user (Odds ratio 1.53, CI 1.19-1.92), no restroom in the waiting room (Odds ratio 2.37 CI 2.05-2.74).
Conclusions: Patient dissatisfaction is related to the omissions in the office visit process, a poor attitude on the part of the attending physician and, the perception of poor care quality, these being aspects which would suggest the need of delving deeper into the study of the user viewpoint within the framework of qualitative evaluations.