Patient satisfaction in Kazakhstan: Looking through the prism of patient healthcare experience

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between patient satisfaction and patient experience after exposure to inpatient hospitalization. Methods: A cross-sectional self-completed survey at the bedside in the Inpatient departments of the University Medical Center hospitals (UMC) in Nur-Sultan city, Kazakhstan was submitted. A total of 153 patients completed the survey from September 2017 to June 2018. The survey used the Picker Patient Experience questionnaire validated in Russian and Kazakh languages. Results: The majority of patients were satisfied with their hospital stay (90.8 %). Only self-rated health status was associated with overall satisfaction (OR 1.922, 95 % CI 1.09−3.37). Patient experience assessment revealed an association of physical comfort and respect for patient preferences with overall satisfaction (OR 0.101, 95 % CI 0.01−0.91 and OR 0.317, 95 % CI 0.11−0.92). Conclusions: Study findings support that patient satisfaction is an exaggerated image of healthcare performance. Groups with negative experience have shown lower overall satisfaction in the dimensions ‘physical comfort’ and ‘respect for patient preferences’. Practice implications: Improving patient centered communication and pain control in clinical practice may lead to the improvement in patient satisfaction.