Elderly female patients are significantly more likely than elderly men to report overall satisfaction with their hospital care, according to a new study published in Sage Open Journal.
For the study, researchers examined 6,021 HCAHPS surveys sampled from elderly patients at 70 hospitals geographically dispersed throughout the U.S. The surveys showed older females to be associated with an 8.1-point increase in overall care satisfaction on the composite scale developed by the researchers. Surveys also indicated that significant communication with physicians influenced higher satisfaction scores in older men, while communication with nurses improved satisfaction scores in older women.
Neale R. Chumbler, PhD, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green and the study's lead author, told WKU News, "Older patients want not only high-quality, compassionate and responsive care, but also a clear explanation of their diagnosis and treatment plan."
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