A mixed method analysis of patients' complaints: Underpinnings of theory-guided strategies to improve quality of care
Author
Wei, Holly; Ming, Yan; Cheng, Hong; Bian, Hui; Ming, Jie; Wei, Trent L.
Abstract
Purpose:
Patients' complaints can be predictors of patient care quality and safety. Understanding patients' complaints could help healthcare organizations target the areas for improvements. The purpose of this study is to use a mixed method analysis to a) examine the characteristics and categories of patients' complaints, b) explore the relationships of patients' complaints with professions and units, and c) propose theory-based strategies to improve care quality.
Methods:
This is a descriptive mixed method study. Data examined are patients' complaints filed at a university-affiliated hospital in China from January 2016 to December 2017. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to categorize complaints. A TwoStep cluster analysis was performed to provide an overall profile of patients' complaints. Chi-Square tests were conducted to investigate the relationships among complaints, professions, and units.
Results:
838 complaints were filed, with 821 valid cases for analysis. Six categories surfaced from the qualitative analysis: uncaring attitudes, unsatisfactory quality of treatment or competence, communication problems, the process of care, fees and billing issues, and other miscellaneous causes. Physicians received most of the complaints (56.6%). The unit receiving the most complaints were outpatient clinics and medical support units (52.7%). The cluster analysis indicated four distinct clusters. Significant relationships existed between complaints and professions (χ2 (20) = 178.82, P < 0.01), and between complaints and units (χ2 (15) = 42.72, P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Patients' complaints are valuable sources for quality improvements. Healthcare providers should be not only scientifically knowledgeable, but also humanistic caring. Caring-based theories may provide guidance in clinical practice.
Date
2018-10-10
Citation:
APA:
Wei, Holly, & Ming, Yan, & Cheng, Hong, & Bian, Hui, & Ming, Jie, & Wei, Trent L.. (October 2018).
A mixed method analysis of patients' complaints: Underpinnings of theory-guided strategies to improve quality of care.
,
(),
-
. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8368
MLA:
Wei, Holly, and Ming, Yan, and Cheng, Hong, and Bian, Hui, and Ming, Jie, and Wei, Trent L..
"A mixed method analysis of patients' complaints: Underpinnings of theory-guided strategies to improve quality of care". .
. (),
October 2018.
October 03, 2023.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8368.
Chicago:
Wei, Holly and Ming, Yan and Cheng, Hong and Bian, Hui and Ming, Jie and Wei, Trent L.,
"A mixed method analysis of patients' complaints: Underpinnings of theory-guided strategies to improve quality of care," , no.
(October 2018),
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8368 (accessed
October 03, 2023).
AMA:
Wei, Holly, Ming, Yan, Cheng, Hong, Bian, Hui, Ming, Jie, Wei, Trent L..
A mixed method analysis of patients' complaints: Underpinnings of theory-guided strategies to improve quality of care. .
October 2018;
():
.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8368. Accessed
October 03, 2023.
Collections