Does moral sensitivity contribute to patient satisfaction? A cross-sectional survey in educational hospitals

Abstract

Introduction: Our study aims to assess interactions between the moral sensitivity of physicians and the satisfaction of patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected by a standard questionnaire of the physicians' moral sensitivity about decision-making and a researcher-made patient satisfaction questionnaire. The physicians were selected through the census method, and patients were selected using quota sampling to equal the selection of each physician from each work shift. All information was analyzed by SPSS statistical software version 23.

Results: The mean score for physicians' moral sensitivity was 91.6 ± 0.63 which shows a high level of moral sensitivity. The average patient satisfaction was 61.97 ± 3.55 out of the total score (23-115) which shows a moderate level of satisfaction with the highest scores in the domain of "professionalism" and the lowest scores were related to the domain of "Technical Quality of Care".

Conclusion: For improving patient satisfaction, adopting appropriate strategies like performing the periodic evaluation of this phenomenon and providing some codified training in this regard are required to increase the level of moral sensitivity of physicians and provide high-quality care.

Keywords: Ethics; Patient Satisfaction; Physician-Patient Relations; Physicians; Quality of Health Care.