Top

International Journal of Public Health

Published in:

01-06-2013 | Original Article

“Tendency to excuse” and patient satisfaction of those suffering with breast cancer

Authors: Sabine Davoll, Christoph Kowalski, Kathrin Kuhr, Oliver Ommen, Nicole Ernstmann, Holger Pfaff

Published in: International Journal of Public Health | Issue 3/2013

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to analyse the extent to which breast cancer patients excuse inconveniences that occur during their hospitalisation, and how this “tendency to excuse” affects their satisfaction with the hospital stay.

Methods

Breast cancer patients undergoing treatment at one of 51 breast centres in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) in 2009 were asked to complete the Cologne Patient Questionnaire-Breast Cancer (CPQ-BC). For the analyses, the “tendency to excuse” scale was subdivided into three groups. Linear regressions were performed to investigate associations between the “tendency to excuse” and patient satisfaction.

Results

88 % (3,950) of the patients completed the questionnaire. The results show that the inpatients excused inconsistencies to a moderate degree. The “excusers” and “non-excusers” showed greater satisfaction with hospital services than the “medium-excusers”.

Conclusions

The “tendency to excuse” scale could aid future data analysis of patient satisfaction surveys by identifying patients who are more likely to answer in an unbiased fashion. According to hospital survey outcomes, adjusting for the “tendency to excuse” scale however, does not lead to substantially different results when comparing health care providers.

Available only for authorised users

Agoritsas T, Lubbeke A, Schiesari L, Perneger TV (2009) Assessment of patients’ tendency to give a positive or negative rating to healthcare. Qual Saf Health Care 18:374–379. doi:10.1136/qshc.2008.028175 PubMedCrossRef

Albert US (2008) Stufe-3-Leitlinie Brustkrebs-Früherkennung in Deutschland. W. Zuckschwerdt Verlag, München

Bagozzi RP (1980) Causal models in marketing. Wiley, New York

Dannenmaier G (2012) Über KTQ.—KTQ, Kooperation für Transparenz und Qualität im Gesundheitswesen. http://www.ktq.de/. Accessed 12 May 2012

Dillman DA (1978) Mail and telephone surveys: the Total Design Method. Wiley, New York

Drain M (2001) Quality improvement in primary care and the importance of patient perceptions. J Ambul Care Manage 24:30–46PubMed

Edwards C, Staniszweska S, Crichton N (2004) Investigation of the ways in which patients’ reports of their satisfaction with healthcare are constructed. Sociol Health Illn 26:159–183. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9566.2004.00385.x PubMedCrossRef

Giebel GD, Groeben N (2008) Social desirability in the measuring of patient satisfaction after treatment of coloproctologic disorders: on shortcomings of general bipolar satisfaction scales for quality management. Langenbecks Arch Surg 393:513–520. doi:10.1007/s00423-008-0310-x PubMedCrossRef

Hargraves JL, Wilson IB, Zaslavsky A, James C, Walker JD, Rogers G, Cleary PD (2001) Adjusting for patient characteristics when analyzing reports from patients about hospital care. Med Care 39:635–641PubMedCrossRef

Haynes SR, Lawler PG (1995) An assessment of the consistency of ASA Physical Status Classification allocation. Anaesth 50:195–199. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2044.1995.tb04554.x CrossRef

Heje HN, Vedsted P, Sokolowski I, Olesen F (2008) Patient characteristics associated with differences in patients’ evaluation of their general practitioner. Health Serv Res 8:178–190. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-8-178 CrossRef

Hekkert KD, Cihangir S, Kleefstra SM, van den Berg B, Kool RB (2009) Patient satisfaction revisited: a multilevel approach. Soc Sci Med 69:68–75. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.04.016 PubMedCrossRef

Kowalski C, Wuerstlein R, Steffen P, Harbeck N, Pfaff H (2010) Four years of surveying patients as part of the certification/re-certification of breast centers in North Rhine-Westphalia = Vier Jahre Patientinnenbefragung im Rahmen der (Re-)Zertifizierung der Brustzentren in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Senol Z Mammadiagn -ther 7:24–28. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1247275 CrossRef

McGrath BM, Tempier RP (2003) Implementing quality management in psychiatry: from theory to practice-shifting, focus from process to outcome. Can J Psychiatry Rev Can Psychiatr 48:467–474

Nguyen Thi PL, Briançon S, Empereur F, Guillemin F (2002) Factors determining inpatient satisfaction with care. Soc Sci Med 54:493–504PubMedCrossRef

O’Malley AJ, Zaslavsky AM, Elliott MN, Zaborski L, Cleary PD (2005) Case-mix adjustment of the CAHPS Hospital Survey. Health Serv Res 40:2162–2181. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6773.2005.00470.x PubMedCrossRef

Owens WD, Felts JA (1978) ASA Physical Status Classification: a study of consistency of ratings. Anaesth 49:239–243CrossRef

Perneger TV (2004) Adjustment for patient characteristics in satisfaction surveys. Int J Qual Health Care 16:433–435. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzh090 PubMedCrossRef

Pfaff H, Freise DC, Land A, Scheibler F, Tual E (2002) Entschuldigungstendenz und das Phänomen der hohen Patientenzufriedenheit: erste Ergebnisse der “Kölner Patientenstudie”. Gesundheitswesen 62:1112

Pfaff H, Freise DC, Mager G, Schrappe M (2003) Der Kölner Patientenfragebogen (KPF): Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung der Einbindung des Patienten als Kotherapeuten. Asgard- Verlag, Sankt August

Pfaff H, Kowalski C, Alich M, Knöller R (2009) Ergebnisse der Patientenbefragung 2009. Institute for Medical Sociology, Health Services Research and Rehabilitation Science, University of Cologne

Scheibler F, Janßen C, Pfaff H (2003) Shared decision making: ein Überblick über die Internationale Forschungsliteratur. Soz Praventiv Med 48:11–23. doi:10.1007/s000380300002 CrossRef

Shaw C, Kalo I (2002) A background for national quality policies in health systems. World Health Organization, Copenhagen

Sitzia J (1999) How valid and reliable are patient satisfaction data? An analysis of 195 studies. Int J Qual Health Care 11:319–328. doi:10.1093/intqhc/11.4.319 PubMedCrossRef

Sobin LH, Gospodarowicz MK, Wittekind Ch (2009) TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours (UICC International Union against Cancer). Wiley- Blackwell, London

Steffen P, Ommen O, Pfaff H (2008) Die “Entschuldigungstendenz” bei Krankenhauspatienten. Gesundheitswesen 70:532–540. doi:10.1055/s-2008-1080930 PubMedCrossRef

Steffen P, Ommen O, Pfaff H (2009) Reduced patient demands in hospitals and their determinants. Int J Public Health 54:11–22. doi:10.1007/s00038-008-7058-5 PubMedCrossRef

Title: “Tendency to excuse” and patient satisfaction of those suffering with breast cancer
Authors: Sabine Davoll
Christoph Kowalski
Kathrin Kuhr
Oliver Ommen
Nicole Ernstmann
Holger Pfaff
Publication date: 01-06-2013
Publisher: SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel
Published in: International Journal of Public Health / Issue 3/2013
Print ISSN: 1661-8556
Electronic ISSN: 1661-8564
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0405-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

“Tendency to excuse” and patient satisfaction of those suffering with breast cancer

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 3/2013

Smoking behavior of Mexicans: patterns by birth-cohort, gender, and education

Are barriers in accessing health services in the Roma population associated with worse health status among Roma?

Access to antenatal care and children’s cognitive development: a comparative analysis in Ethiopia, Peru, Vietnam and India

Is the cardiovascular risk profile of people living in Roma settlements worse in comparison with the majority population in Slovakia?

Measuring and valuing quality of life for public health research: application of the ICECAP-O capability index in the Australian general population

Measuring the prevalence of chronic diseases using population surveys by pooling self-reported symptoms, diagnosis and treatments: results from the World Health Survey of 2003 for South Asia